


The Trickster Fox

by vincentvandope



Series: Howlkyuu!! [7]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Gen, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:16:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29635899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vincentvandope/pseuds/vincentvandope
Summary: The Karasuno team has finally made it to Tokyo for Nationals, but of course their bad luck would follow them there. A dangerous kitsune is interfering with people’s dreams and the Spring Interhigh, and that’s not the only trick it has up its sleeve.(part 7 of the Howlkyuu!! series)
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Kyoutani Kentarou/Yachi Hitoka, Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Shimizu Kiyoko/Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Tendou Satori/Ushijima Wakatoshi, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Series: Howlkyuu!! [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2127321
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	1. Tokyo! Tokyo! Tokyo!

All Kuroo knew was that there was an intruder. He was at school, at night, alone, and there was someone he had to find and kill. So he walked around the building and felt his heart rise to his throat with every door he opened, exhaled in relief with every empty classroom. Until one wasn’t.

  
The intruder was sitting at one of the desks. Kuroo could see his own red eyes reflected in the window. The figure got up and Kuroo brought his claws out. It was suddenly in front of him, no distinctive features, only shadows. Kuroo raised his arms to attack.

  
“Tetsuro?”

  
Yellow eyes. Kuroo blinked. He wasn’t at school, he was in a familiar bedroom, and the figure wasn’t a shadow anymore. “Kenma?”

  
“You scared me,” he said. He was holding his wrists, but he let go of them and brought his hands to Kuroo’s face. “Is something wrong?”

  
He was still breathing heavily from the nightmare, and he realized he was covered in sweat when the cold January air blew in from the open window he had his back to. “Did I… What am I doing here?”

  
“You climbed through my window.” Kenma closed it and put a hand to his forehead. “Are you okay? I think you were sleepwalking.”

  
Kuroo sat down on the floor. His claws were still out, and it took a second for them to obey him and slip back into his fingers. “But I don’t sleepwalk.”

  
Kenma kneeled and made him look at him again. “Maybe it’s just nerves. With Nationals starting tomorrow and all.” Kuroo didn’t think so, but he nodded all the same. “Do you want to sleep here?”

  
“No, I… I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  
“Seriously, are you okay?” Kuroo nodded and turned to the window. Kenma grabbed his t-shirt. “Wait.” He pulled him in for a kiss. “Good night.”

  
“Yeah, good night.”

  
Kuroo made his way back to his house, just next door. Once he was in his room again, he closed the door and pushed his desk in front of it. He dragged a bookshelf until it was covering the latch to his window. He dug around the top shelf of his closet for an old box of Legos and scattered them on the floor around his bed. His precautions turned out to be unnecessary, though, because he didn’t fall asleep again.

  
. . .

  
“Is that the Sky Tree?”

  
“Hinata, I swear- Oh, wait, it is.” Daichi nodded. “Yeah, that’s it.”

  
“That’s so cool! Tanaka, look!”

  
“I’m looking, I’m looking!”

  
They were waiting for the light to change, so Ukai turned to look at the kids. Hinata had been stuck to the bus windows since they’d driven past the Tokyo sign, and now Tanaka was looking out with him, crushing Kageyama under his weight, who looked very pissed off. Most of the guys had been borderline hyperactive during the trip, and Ukai was feeling pretty happy himself. The face on his grandpa when he told him that he’d be taking the Karasuno team to Nationals on his first year as coach had been priceless, but even then, it still hadn’t feel real. But they were here.

  
They dropped their things off in the little inn they were staying at and headed to the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium for the inauguration act. Ukai somehow managed to not spill tears of pride as they announced the school and the team walked out, Daichi holding their banner, but Saeko had been crying alright, yelling and clapping for the team and her brother. They’d gotten all kinds of looks from the people around them, but Ukai just made eye contact and cheered louder. After the year they’d had, he thought they deserved some respite.

  
After some tourism and some training, it was nightfall. Ukai was getting ready to go out when he heard loud, happy yelling coming from the boys’ room.

  
“Guys, I know you’re all stoked, but don’t be rude, okay? Keep it down.”

  
“I’m sorry,” Daichi said, gesturing to a pillow they’d set under a window. “We made a little good luck shrine and got carried away.”

  
Tsukishima walked away from it and Ukai looked at the makeshift altar. On top of the pillow sat a red charm that he’d seen the girls’ volleyball club’s captain give to Daichi before they left and a raggedy dinosaur plushie that he didn’t recognize.

  
“His name is Aki!” Noya said. “Isn’t he cool? He’s Tsukishima’s!”

  
“Really?” Tsukishima rolled his eyes and looked away. “Can I add something?”

  
“Yes! What is it?”

  
“I’ll be right back.”

  
Ukai went into his bedroom, opened the outer pocket of his duffel bag, and hesitated. He hadn’t meant to tell the kids about them. Maybe he was making a mistake. Well, it was too late now.

  
He took the pair of square, black-rimmed glasses out of their case and walked back to the boys’ room. Ukai left the glasses gently on the pillow and turned around. “I can take them back if you don’t want them here. I wasn’t planning on telling you that I brought them, but I just felt like they belonged. But it’s your room, so it’s your choice.”

  
“No, leave them. Please.” Daichi was already throwing an arm around a crying Sugawara when Ukai looked around the room. He wasn't the only one tearing up.

  
Ukai was about to leave when Tsukishima walked out abruptly, Yamaguchi running after him. His first instinct was anger, but he pushed it down and followed them. He found them on the stairs.

  
“How can you say that when so many people have gotten hurt or killed because of something I did?” Tsukishima was sitting with his back to the wall and to Ukai, Yamaguchi crouching before him. “Even when I tried to help, I was still useless when we were looking for Yachi. I can’t do anything right.”

  
“Hey,” Ukai intervened, making them both look at him in surprise, “stop that. If you hadn’t come up with a plan against Ushijima, we wouldn’t be here competing now. And nobody died because of you.” Tsukishima looked away again. “If you want me to take the glasses back, I will.”

  
The blond shook his head. “Do you remember what I said to him, in the basement of your store?”

  
“Something along the lines of how you would never forgive him for hurting Yamaguchi?”

  
Tsukishima left his glasses on the floor and covered his face with his hands. “That’s the last thing I ever said to him. He died believing that I hated him. Even though I started to think that he wasn’t that bad, I was too proud to take it back and I never said anything, and now I can’t.” Ukai couldn’t find words to make him feel better. “And I as good as killed him.”

  
“That’s not true, Tsuki!” Yamaguchi pushed his hands away from his face and took it in his. “Stop it! Hunters killed him!”

  
“Hunters that came to Sendai because I got out on the full moon!”

  
“Tsukishima, I don’t remember his words exactly, but we had a conversation about that. He said it was only a matter of time.” Tsukishima had turned to look at him again and flinched when Yamaguchi started drying his tears off with his sleeve. “Not every hunter who knew about Miyagi was killed. They were well aware of werewolves being in the prefecture. He said that you didn’t make them realize, so it could not be your fault. And when he… when they got him, it was after his own choice of going after them. He survived them once and his luck run out. So it’s not on you. On any of you.” Ukai’s eyes were itching. “I want you to rest, okay? You have the first match in just hours. Takeda would want you to be on top form tomorrow. And he’d want you to stop blaming yourself, too.”

  
He turned and made it two steps before his tear ducts betrayed him. He was almost to his room when Saeko intercepted him. “Hey, coach.”

  
Ukai wiped at his eyes. “Hey.”

  
“So I kinda heard all that.” He nodded and she gestured to the end of the corridor. “How about we get some fresh air?” Ukai followed her. She gave him a pack of cigarettes and he opened it to find his lighter inside. It was his own. “Ryu told me what happened, with the teacher.”

  
“Yeah?”

  
“I was just wondering if you’ve talked to anyone about it.” He shook his head for an answer. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say out loud that he died. You always dodge the word. And Ryu told me about the letter on his grave.”

  
“No one in my family knows anything about this except for my grandpa, but I can’t really talk to him. My friends don’t know about the supernatural stuff either, so they think he’s just missing. And I can’t put this on the kids, so yeah… not really anyone left.”

  
“I’m here now.” She held her hand out for the pack and lit up a cigarette for herself. “You can talk to me.”

  
“I don’t know that I can talk to anyone, honestly.”

  
She blew the smoke out and rested her arms on the ledge. “Do you know about our family situation?”

  
“What do you mean?”

  
“Ryu doesn’t really talk about it, but I thought maybe someone would’ve told you. Our parents left when I turned eighteen.”

  
“What?” He choked on the smoke and his eyes started watering again. “Why?”

  
“They were addicts. They waited until we wouldn’t be taken away by social services, at least. Thanks, mom and dad.” She laughed bitterly and took another drag. “Ryu was thirteen. I kept it a secret for a long time because I was scared to death that they would take him away from me. And I had to put on a brave face for Ryu, so I also had no one to talk to. And it sucks. So I’m just offering.”

  
Ukai took a deep breath and left his dying cigarette on the ashtray. He fixed his eyes on the flickering ember, and when it went out, he spoke. “No one knows this, but we were together.”

  
“Shit. I’m sorry.”

  
He shook his head. “I feel like I don’t have a right to miss him this much. We didn’t even get a month.”

  
“Don’t say that,” she said softly. Her cigarette was done, so she smashed it next to his. “How did it start?”

  
“A drunk hook up.” He smiled and tasted his own tears. “I woke up the next morning in his empty bed and I got ready to sneak out and pretend it had never happened, but he was making breakfast for both of us.” Ukai closed his eyes. “It felt like we’d started right in the middle of a relationship. Like we’d been together for years.”

  
“That sounds like love to me.”

  
“We skipped the beginning and we didn’t get to have an ending. We just were, and then he… wasn’t.”

  
“But was it good?”

  
“It was a pretty amazing couple of weeks, yeah.”

  
“Then hold on to that. You said that he’d want the kids to stop blaming themselves, and the way you all talk about him, I’m pretty sure he’d also want you stop moping around. You’ve been sad since I’ve met you.”

  
“He died.” The first sob escaped his throat and he tried to breathe out slowly, but there was no stopping now. “There. I said it.”

  
She hugged him. “I’m so sorry.” They spent a moment in silence. “Do you want to go out for drinks? I’m a great wingman. And I know plenty of nerdy people from college. When you’re ready, I’ll help you find another intellectual with glasses. They’re a dime a dozen, really.”

  
“I’m actually running late.” Ukai checked his phone and he was right. “I have a meeting. With the other druids. I have to go.”

  
“Have fun.”

  
“Thank you.”

  
Saeko smiled and lit up another cigarette before returning the pack to him. “No need. See you tomorrow.”


	2. I'm Afraid Of All I Am

Ukai made his way to his room as silently as he could. It was well past two in the morning, so the last thing he expected to find was Yachi sitting in front of his door. He whispered, “hey, are you okay?” She was crying. “Sweetheart?”

  
“Something bad is going to happen. I think someone’s going to die.”

  
Ukai’s mouth went dry. He sat with her. “Who? Did you wail?”

  
She shook her head no. “I’m not sure. I don’t want to know. I don’t want to do this again.”

  
“Go to sleep, Yachi. Let’s talk about this in the morning.”

  
“I can’t. They won’t shut up.”

  
“The boys?” He listened, but he didn’t hear anything coming from their room. “I’ll talk to them.”

  
“No, the voices.”

  
The hair on his arms stood on end. “Voices? Is that… a banshee thing?”

  
“Yes.”

  
“Oh, thank God.” He patted her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. He took extra care to not touch her skin. “Listen, I was talking to the druids. One of them used to know a banshee.”

  
“Used to? What happened to her?”

  
“Uh… I don’t know.”

  
She tilted her head. “She killed herself.”

  
Ukai cursed internally. “Can you read minds too?”

  
“No, the voices told me.”

  
Ukai opened the door and turned the lights of his room on. It was starting to feel too much like a horror movie. “Okay. Great. Uh… yeah. So, the thing is. Do you know that Greek myth about how the Fates spun and cut the threads of people’s lives? This banshee could apparently see those threads, use them. I don’t know. It sounded interesting, food for thought. Have you ever seen anything like that?”

  
“No, but I’ll… try?” She dried her face off. “I’ll think about it.”

  
“Good.” He couldn’t think of another topic of conversation. “How about you try sleeping again? I can give you my earphones, maybe you won’t hear the voices with music on?”

  
She got up. “Okay.”

  
The last thing he thought of was how much he shouldn’t be a dad before he passed out in bed.

  
. . .

  
Bokuto was being held somewhere and he had to get out at any cost. He tried to reach out to the darkness that surrounded him, but he couldn’t move, like he was tied up. He kept struggling until his arms got free. A monster appeared in front of him and went for his neck. Bokuto lashed out, claws colliding against its soft body. He flinched. His name was being yelled out, but he couldn’t see more attackers, and then something grabbed him from behind, holding him back. He tried to get free and another monster threw itself on him, pinning both of them down. He tried to slash at them again, but his arms were being held down. His right hand was still warm with blood. Someone slapped him and his head whipped to the side.

  
When he opened his eyes, Konoha was under him, holding his right arm with both of his, legs wrapped around his torso. To his left, Komi was pinning his other arm under his knee. He still had a hand up from slapping him awake. In front of him, Washio was pressing a blanket against Akaashi’s chest, who was lying on his back. Akaashi was looking at him wide-eyed. Scared. There was blood splattered all over his face.

  
“What’s-“ He looked at his bloodied hand again, at Akaashi’s t-shirt, his t-shirt, torn and getting redder as he watched. “Akaashi?”

  
“Are you back?” Konoha kicked him on the ribs with his heel. “Hey! Bokuto?”

  
“W-what happened?”

  
“Let him go.” Komi did. Konoha pulled Bokuto out of the way as their druids came in. “What the hell was that?”

  
He craned his neck but he couldn’t see Akaashi. Konoha snapped his fingers in front of his face. Bokuto blinked. “What happened?”

  
“I don’t know. When I woke up, Akaashi was trying to fight you off.”

  
Bokuto couldn’t breathe right. “Me?”

  
“Yeah.”

  
“Akaashi’s bleeding.”

  
“No shit. Hey, wait! Bokuto!”

  
Bokuto ran out of the room. He sprinted down the corridor. He needed to breathe. He needed to be away. He wanted Akaashi, but he was hurt, because he’d hurt him. His blood was on him. He needed the blood gone.

  
Bokuto walked into the bathroom, washed his hands until they were only red from rubbing. He looked in the mirror. He’d touched his face and Akaashi’s blood was smeared on his eyebrow. He washed it off and walked out. In front of the bathrooms there was a double door with a stop sign. He opened it to find a closet full of cleaning products, brooms, mops. Bokuto crammed himself into the small space, closed the door, hugged his knees and cried.

  
“Kotaro?” His hand shot up, but there were no handles on the inside. He dug his claws into both doors and tried to keep them closed. “I know you’re in there. Let me in.”

  
“No.”

  
“Kotaro, let me in.”

  
Bokuto whimpered. “Are you okay?”

  
“Yes. I’m already patched up. I’m fine.”

  
“I’m so sorry.”

  
“It was a nightmare. Right?” He nodded. “Kotaro, are you nodding? I can’t see you if you don’t let me in.”

  
“I don’t want to hurt you.”

  
“I know. And I know you won’t.”

  
“I don’t know how it happened. I don’t trust myself.”

  
“I trust you. Open the door.”

  
“No!” The door farthest from him shook and came off its hinges. “Stop!” Bokuto pressed himself against the wall, sitting as far away from Akaashi as possible. He just calmly sat down opposite him and put the door back into place. It started to tilt and he caught it just in time, slowly letting it down onto the floor. Akaashi sat illuminated by the dim emergency lights in the corridor. Bokuto hid in the darkness.

  
“I love you.” Bokuto shook his head, trembled with sobs. “C’mon. You have to say it.”

  
“I love you more. I’m so sorry.” Akaashi moved towards him. Bokuto had trapped himself against the wall. “Please, stay away.”

  
“No.”

  
He pushed down on one of Bokuto’s knees and he let him. Akaashi sat on his lap and hugged him. Bokuto embraced him lightly, scared of hurting him again. His bare arms were around Akaashi, who hadn’t replaced his t-shirt, and Bokuto started taking on his pain. It wasn’t a lot, but still, it was his fault. “Will you be able to play tomorrow?”

  
“They said that probably not, since it’s a wound from an alpha.” Bokuto started crying harder and Akaashi ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s fine. I’ll just sit this one game out. You make sure you win it so we can play together for the rest of the tournament, okay?”

  
“Let me see.”

  
“Are you sure?”

  
“Please.”

  
Akaashi leaned back. He carefully unstuck the bandages that were covering four slashes from his shoulder down through his collarbone, stopping over his sternum. They were still bleeding a little, even after the druids had worked on it. “I’m so sorry.” Akaashi shushed him and replaced the bandage. “I lied to you.”

  
“What are you talking about?”

  
“I promised you after I bit you that it would be the last time I ever hurt you and I broke it.” Akaashi kissed him and Bokuto held him tighter. “Keiji, I’m so sorr-“ Akaashi wouldn't let him apologize again.

  
“I’ve already forgiven you. Do you want to make it up to me?”

  
“Of course. I love you.”

  
“I love you more. Let’s go. I need you to let me sleep with you. They threw my bedroll out.”

  
. . .

  
“And I couldn’t fall asleep again, so that’s why I look like shit, bro. Thanks for asking so nicely.”

  
Kuroo had a very serious look on his face. Bokuto wasn’t used to that. “I have to tell you something.” The two alphas were talking at a table alone while they had breakfast. Bokuto couldn’t help but be jealous of Kuroo, who had stopped before hurting Kenma. “But I really would’ve attacked him. I was lucky he caught me.”

  
“What the hell does this mean?”

  
“Beats me.”

  
“Do you think it has to do with the Interhigh?” Bokuto brought his phone out. “I’m gonna warn the other alphas here. And the other Tokyo packs. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ll talk to our druids, see if they know what it is, or can track down whoever is doing this.”

  
“It is too much of a coincidence, isn’t it?”

  
“Do you have any ideas?”

  
“A spell? A rogue druid? I have no idea, bro.”

  
“Oh, no.”

  
“What?” Kuroo took his phone to see for himself. “Was there another attack?”

  
“No, bro.” Bokuto buried his face in his hands. “I’m not playing in the main arena!”


	3. Run, Boy, Run

After winning their first match of the Interhigh and having a much needed lunch at the inn, Daichi spoke to them. “I got a text from Bokuto. Apparently, people are having vivid nightmares and attacking others while asleep.”

  
“And it’s something supernatural?” asked Hinata.

  
“That’s the working theory.”

  
He turned to Kageyama and the setter nodded. “Remember that I met a kitsune at camp? He’s supposed to be here for Nationals. Manipulating people’s dreams is something he could do.”

  
Daichi started typing on his phone. “I’ll tell Bokuto. You think he could be trying to get rid of competitors?”

  
“He’s from Inarizaki. They didn’t play today, and their first match is tomorrow, against us. Why wouldn’t he start here?”

  
“Yeah, doesn’t make much sense.” Daichi sighed and turned to Suga. “Did you come up with something?”

  
“The easiest solution is to stand guard, take turns sleeping. I’d suggest the starting players get a full night’s sleep, at least today, and the rest of us will stay awake in pairs. Three hour watches and back to sleep.” The ones who would have to take those turns nodded. “I’ll take the middle turn.”

  
Coach Ukai shook his head. “Forget that. I’ll stay up.”

  
“We’ll stay up,” Saeko agreed. “You kids sleep.”

  
“Yachi?” Hinata turned to her. She’d looked like she was on the verge of tears all morning, and jumped when Coach Ukai addressed her. “Can I tell them?” She nodded. Kiyoko threw an arm around her shoulders and Saeko rushed to her side too. Yachi flinched when they touched her, then relaxed. “Yachi’s been having another bad feeling. She thinks someone might die.”

  
“What?”

  
Suga walked up to her. “Who is it, Yachi?”

  
“I don’t know yet.”

  
“But could you?”

  
She sniffled and looked up, blinking fast. “I think so. I… let me…”

  
Yachi started walking, looking at each person. The dining room was in perfect silence, except for her steps. Hinata could hear his own heartbeat as she approached. Their eyes met and her lip quivered. Hinata held a breath as she took his hand, but she didn’t scream.

  
She turned to Kageyama. He raised a hand to her. A tear rolled down Yachi’s cheek while her shaking fingers approached his. When she touched him, she covered her mouth, but she couldn’t stop the wail. Kiyoko took hold of her while Kageyama and Hinata covered their ears. When the silence came back, no one broke it.

  
. . .

  
They were waiting for Tanaka in the lobby. Daichi had decided that Kageyama would have a security detail from that moment on, so Kiyoko and Tanaka would be going with him and Hinata for their evening run. Yachi was with them too. She'd spent the afternoon either apologizing or shooting worried glances at Kageyama. He'd spent it trying to seem unbothered, but Hinata wasn't buying it.

  
“I’m here!” Tanaka appeared with his sister. She went straight to Yachi.

  
“C’mon, baby girl. Let’s go.”

  
“Okay,” she said with one last look back. “Bye, guys.”

  
They said their goodbyes, but Kageyama said, “see you later.”

  
She gave him a weak smile and they left. They ran in pairs, to leave space on the sidewalk, although it was getting late and there weren’t many people walking around. The first-years jogged in front, the other two behind them.

  
“You feel okay?” asked Tanaka.

  
“Yeah. It’s been a long time, but it’s not like I haven’t been exercising, helping you guys and all.”

  
“Just tell me if you get tired or if it hurts or anything, alright? I’ll give you a piggyback ride back.”

  
Kiyoko laughed. “Well, now I might just say I’m tired so you’ll carry me.”

  
“Fine by me!”

  
“Are you hurt, Kiyoko?” asked Hinata.

  
“No, he’s talking about an old injury.”

  
“What happened?”

  
“I used to be on the track team. I ran hurdles,” she explained, “but I got hurt.”

  
“I’m sorry.”

  
“It was for the best, really.”

  
“How come?”

  
“It’s how I became the manager for the club. After I got injured, they told me I was going to recover, but it wasn’t clear if I’d be able to run again, much less competitively.” Hinata looked back and caught her sad smile. “I was a first-year, so I already knew Asahi, and he told Daichi and Suga. They came to talk to me and offer me the bite, and I accepted it. I fully recovered, but the time in the hospital made me realize that I didn’t really have friends on the track team, and that I didn’t miss it at all. I’d gotten closer to the three of them in those few days than to my teammates in year, so when they asked me to join the volleyball club as a manager, I accepted again.”

  
Hinata chewed on his lip. “Do you ever regret it? Turning into a werewolf?”

  
“Not really.” He didn’t say anything else. “Are you okay, Hinata?”

  
“Yeah, I guess.” He shrugged and looked at Kageyama. “Just worried.”

  
“Don’t be,” Kageyama said. “Yachi said that the last thing she predicted didn’t happen. So I’m not going to die, got it?”

  
Hinata wasn’t sure that being stubborn about it would make it true, but he didn’t want to upset him. “Got it.”

  
They finished their lap and started stretching outside the inn. Kageyama nudged Hinata’s arm. “Hey, that’s him.”

  
“Who?”

  
“The kitsune. I’m going to talk to him.”

  
Hinata grabbed his jacket. “Are you crazy? He could be dangerous!”

  
“Hey, Kageyama!” A blond guy waved at him as he walked by. “Good luck tomorrow!”

  
“Yeah, see you!” He walked into the big hotel next to their inn, where most of the teams were staying. “We should have talked to him!”

  
“Seriously, are you insane?” Hinata saw that Tanaka had also been holding him back and he tapped his hand. “Can you tell him he’s crazy?”

  
“You got a death wish, dude?”

  
“He was kind of an asshole, but I don’t think he’s the one attacking people.”

  
“Wait, isn’t…” Kiyoko took her glasses off, put them back on. “That’s him again.”

  
Hinata followed her eyes to a guy who looked exactly like the one they’d just seen get into the hotel. “What the hell?” Kageyama took off before they could stop him. Hinata ran after him. “Hey, man.” He looked at Kageyama without any sign of recognition and kept walking. “Hey, I’m talking to you.”

  
“I think you got the wrong person.”

  
“Miya?”

  
The guy rolled his eyes. “Seriously, wrong person.” Kageyama grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side of the inn, out of sight. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

  
“Who are you?”

  
He snorted. “Me? Who are you?”

  
“Hey, Kageyama! The hell you think you’re doing?”

  
Hinata looked behind him. Miya was there. He looked towards Kageyama. The guy was there too. Kageyama let go of him. “What?”

  
“That’s my brother, man!”

  
“Who the hell are these people, ‘Tsumu?”

  
One’s hair was blond and the other’s was grey, Hinata could see now. “I met him at the All-Japan Youth camp. The others are from Karasuno, I'm guessing.”

  
“Hey, guys? Are you okay?”

  
Hinata turned around. Kiyoko and Tanaka had been blocking the kitsunes’ way out, but behind them now stood two new people.

  
“It’s nothing, Aran.” The blond looked at Kageyama. “A misunderstanding. Right?”

  
“Do they… know?”

  
“Yeah, they’re kitsunes too.”

  
Kageyama crossed his arms. “Are you the ones making people have nightmares and get violent?”

  
There were four faces of genuine surprise. “I’m sorry?”

  
“Wait, what’s happening?”

  
Kageyama told them about the text. “It sounds like a kitsune to me, from what Miya told me.”

  
“At this point just call me Atsumu to avoid confusion.”

  
His twin raised a hand. “Osamu.”

  
The one they’d called Aran turned to the one who hadn’t spoken yet. “I’ll get Kita. You keep an eye on the twins.” His only answer was a sigh. But just as Aran took his first step, someone screamed. “It came from the hotel.”

  
“Behind it, I think,” Kiyoko said as she took off running.

  
They followed suit. Indeed, behind the hotel, between a couple of dumpsters, two guys were fighting. Well, one of them was clearly losing. It smelled like cooked meat. The one who was winning took a look at them and ran away. “Komori?” Hinata looked at Kageyama, who was watching the figure disappear behind the next building.

  
Atsumu ran to the other guy. “Sakusa? Holy shit. Guys, this looks bad.”

  
“Get back,” the guy on the ground, Sakusa, said weakly. He, Hinata realized, was were the barbeque smell came from. His eyes were shining werewolf yellow and the sleeve of his tracksuit was smoking, the arm under it badly burnt.

  
“Was that Komori?”

  
“Of course it wasn’t! It just looked like him!” Sakusa kicked at Atsumu. “Leave me alone!”

  
“Suna,” Aran said, and the other guy went after the fake Komori.

  
Kageyama followed him. “Kageyama, don’t!”

  
“I know what Komori looks like!”

  
Hinata was stopped by Tanaka. Kiyoko was already running after him. Aran started walking towards the front of the hotel. “I’m going to open that,” he said, pointing to an emergency exit that only opened from the inside. “We can’t bring him in through the front door.”

  
“Was that a kitsune?” The twins looked at Hinata. “He used fire, right? It isn’t one of yours?”

  
“None of us would do this. I don’t know who that was.” Atsumu turned to Sakusa again. “We have to get you inside.”

  
“Don’t touch me.”

  
“If we don’t get you medical help right now you might die. Foxfire’s not like regular fire.”

  
“Fine.” Atsumu crouched and tried to put Sakusa's arm around his shoulders, but he pushed him away. “I meant fine, I’ll die!”

  
“I swear to God,” he muttered. “’Samu, help me.”

  
“There’s… two of you? Hey. Hey, get off!” The twins ignored his complaints and hauled him up. The emergency door opened.

  
“Take those stairs. Kita is probably in our room. Take him there.” They went in.

  
“Wait!” Aran caught the door again and looked at Tanaka. “He’s a werewolf. We should tell the leader of Tokyo. He’s staying here too.”

  
From inside of the hotel, Atsumu yelled, “do you want all of us to fall down the stairs, stupid?”

  
Aran shook his head. “Who?”

  
“Bokuto Kotaro, from-“

  
“Fukurodani, got it.” He let go of the door again, stopped it once more. The others were coming back.

  
“Did you find him?”

  
Kageyama’s disappointed look told Hinata all he needed to know. “No trace.”

  
“They probably just shifted into someone else,” Suna said. “Did you talk to Kita?”

  
“Not yet. You’re from Karasuno, right?” They nodded and the kitsunes walked into the hotel, leaving the door to close on its own. “See you tomorrow.”


	4. Say You’ll Never Leave My Dreams

“This is the safest place for him.”

  
Bokuto nodded at the captain of Inarizaki. “That’s cool, but I’ll send my druids to take care of his wound, though.”

  
“Understood. Keep an eye out for the nogitsune. Remember that there’s always a flaw in the illusion.”

  
“Yeah, thanks. And you’re sure it’s only one?”

  
“Yes. They’re chaotic creatures. They don’t work well with others.”

  
“Alright, then. Thanks again!” They said their farewells. Bokuto and Kuroo took the stairs down to the first floor, where the Fukurodani had their rooms.

  
Kuroo exhaled slowly. “I do have an idea now, bro.”

  
“That someone’s coming for the top Tokyo teams?”

  
“Yeah. And another idea.” Bokuto raised his eyebrows. “Daishou.”

  
“You think? Even though he’s human?”

  
“Maybe he’s not.”

  
Bokuto stopped before his door. “Okay. I’ll send people out to keep an eye on him.”

  
“They should be careful. Who knows what that snake’s up to.”

  
“What do you mean?”

  
“Maybe you should just straight up interrogate him.”

  
“Wait, you think it’s him?”

  
Kuroo snorted loudly. “Obviously? You think I meant I want you to protect him?”

  
“Obviously? What are you talking about, bro?”

  
“He didn’t make it to the Interhigh! This is some kind of revenge!”

  
“But he’s human. We know that the attacker is a blahblahtsune.”

  
“The good ones are kitsunes and the bad one is a nogitsune. And maybe he is one, I don’t know!”

  
“You’re the one who knows him, bro! Is he supernatural or not?”

  
“Now I’m not sure!”

  
Bokuto slapped his arm and opened the door. “I know you two hate each other, but you’re just paranoid, bro. Good night.”

  
. . .

  
Sakusa was buried up to his nose in a bedroll except for his wounded arm when Atsumu walked in for his shift. “Get out.”

  
“It’s my turn to look over you.”

  
“Get out.”

  
“Get me out. Bet you can’t.” He just scoffed and closed his eyes. “I don’t have a choice either, buddy.”

  
“You’ll be alright?” Osamu asked from the door.

  
“Yeah.”

  
“Okay. I’ll be out here if he tries to kill you.” He grinned. “Warn me so I can watch.”

  
“Thanks, ‘Samu.” His brother closed the door and he looked at Sakusa’s charred arm, which was looking healthier after a day of healing. “That’s looking better.”

  
“They said I can play tomorrow.” He opened his eyes again, but didn’t look at Atsumu. “What happened with my team?”

  
“You won your match.” Sakusa let out a sigh of relief and went back to pretending Atsumu didn’t exist. “We lost, thanks for asking.”

  
“Against?”

  
“Karasuno.”

  
He chuckled at that. “Maybe they’re actually good, then.” His slight smile disappeared. “Still no sign of Komori? Or the nogistune?”

  
“Nothing.”

  
He ended the conversation by turning his back to him. Atsumu sat down and waited. Sakusa wouldn’t talk to him, but he had another tactic in mind. When he finally fell asleep, Atsumu closed his eyes.

  
He was in the main arena, in the middle of an Itachiyama match that Sakusa was playing, even though he hadn’t been there that morning. Atsumu snapped his fingers and everyone except the two of them disappeared. He leaned against one of the net poles and crossed his arms. “Hey.”

  
“I’m not falling for it again. Leave me alone.”

  
“I want you to hear me out.”

  
“I’m going to wake up.” Atsumu watched as he shook his head, tried pinching himself. “Wake up!”

  
“You can’t unless I let you.”

  
“Excuse me?”

  
“This is my domain now. Will you listen for a minute?”

  
“No.”

  
“Dude, just-“ He started yelling over him. Atsumu sighed and Sakusa stopped making noise. He brought his hands up to his throat, looking very angry. “You left me no choice. I’m gonna say my piece and leave, alright?” He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I made you relive the cockroach thing, and I’m sorry you feel like I tricked you into kissing me, but I just said you could thank me with a kiss and you kissed me! You did that because you wanted to, alright? I was the first one who was surprised that it worked. And then I told you what was happening and when you told me to leave you alone, I left. So I’m sorry, but I didn’t make you kiss me, which means you’re just mad at yourself. And… that’s it.” Atsumu opened his eyes. Sakusa stirred and sat up. “Shit. I’m not good at not waking people up when I get out of their dreams yet, sorry.”

  
Sakusa’s jaw clenched. “Get out.”

  
“I can’t, I’ve been assigned here. Also? Pretty brave of you to keep trying to kick me out of my own bedroom. Anyway, tell you what.” He held a hand out to him. “Let’s make a pact. Pacts with kitsunes are unbreakable. I promise if you stop complaining about me keep an eye on you until you’re okay and out of here, when you tell me to leave you alone, I’ll do it.”

  
“Why would I believe you?”

  
“Because it’s magic, dude. You’ll know it’s true when we agree to it.” He took his hand. “When you say ‘leave me alone’, I will leave wherever you are. It will work every time you use those words, as long as either of us is alive, and it will start working as soon as you leave here and go back to your team.”

  
Sakusa looked unconvinced. “Okay.”

  
It was like an electrical current that started on their hands and traveled up their arms. Atsumu had already felt it once before, but Sakusa clutched at his chest, caught off guard by the feeling a pact left on your heart when it took effect. “You felt that, right? You believe me now?”

  
He stared at Atsumu for a second before answering. “Yes.”

  
Atsumu couldn’t read him, but that was okay. He’d done all he could. “Okay. You can go back to sleep.” Sakusa gestured for him to get closer. “What?” He put a hand on his cheek, fingers grazing his ear. “What, do I have something on my face?” Sakusa rolled his eyes. “Dude, I don’t-“ He kissed him. Atsumu froze.

  
“Uh… sorry.”

  
“Sorry? Why the hell did you kiss me now?”

  
He looked away. The window projected lines of light across his face through the blinds. Sakusa’s skin looked red, and Atsumu didn’t think it was the streetlights. “I think I misread the situation.”

  
“So you do want to kiss me! You like me?”

  
Sakusa rolled his eyes again and looked at him. “Don’t ask me why, because I don’t know either.” Atsumu smiled and he groaned. “I regret it already. Forget I did that.”

  
“You like me? But you barely even know me. Do you think I’m hot?”

  
“Leave me alone.”

  
“I told you it won’t start working until you recover! You already admitted that you like me, just admit that you think I’m hot!”

  
“Ugh. Fine.”

  
“I wanna hear it.”

  
“I hate you.”

  
“You can hate me and think I’m hot, they’re not exclusive.” Atsumu wiggled his eyebrows at him, and Sakusa tried to hide a smile. “C’mon! Say it! I think you’re hot too, by the way.”

  
“Okay. You’re hot.”

  
“Yes! Am I the hotter twin?”

  
“Uh… yes?”

  
“Yes!” Atsumu started towards the door. “Now say it again, but make it a statement instead of a question.” He slid it open. “Hey, Sakusa, am I the hotter twin?”

  
“I’m going to sleep.”

  
“Dammit.”

  
A smack on the forehead from Osamu. “You’re so fucking stupid, ‘Tsumu.”

  
Atsumu got him on the back of the head. “Shut up!”

  
They kept fighting until Sakusa called out, “guys? I’m trying to sleep?”

  
“Yeah, yeah.”

  
“Dumbass.”

  
“Ugly twin!” Atsumu closed the door before he could answer. “I’ll shut up now.”

  
“Can we make a pact for it?”

  
“I’m not making another pact for nothing.” Atsumu started to make his way back to Sakusa’s bedroll. “You noticed I don’t gain anything from our pact, right? That’s not usually how it goes.”

  
“I’m flattered,” he deadpanned.

  
“You should be!”

  
“Do you ever shut up?”

  
“You know,” said Atsumu with one of his practiced smirks, “there are ways to shut me up.” Sakusa pulled him down abruptly and Atsumu fell on top of him. They found each other’s lips again. “See? That’s, like, my favorite.”

  
“It doesn’t seem to be working.”

  
“No, no, it does! I’ll shut up, I prom-“


	5. Do You Know Who You're Talking To?

“Hey, let’s switch.”

  
Atsumu slipped his arm from under Sakusa and checked his phone. “It’s not time yet and I got this anyway. You can leave if you want.”

  
“You should rest.”

  
Sakusa rolled on his side, waking up. Atsumu raised his eyebrows and slowly said “you can leave.”

  
“Dude, you look like hell. Just go to sleep.”

  
Atsumu got up and started pushing Osamu towards the door. “Dude. Get out!” He smacked his chest and Osamu rubbed at the spot he’d hit, but didn’t retaliate. “Shit. Did I really hurt you?”

  
“Atsumu?” Sakusa sat up and flashed his eyes yellow. “I don’t think that’s your brother.”

  
Before he could react, not-Osamu threw him against a wall. Atsumu got back up and tackled him. They dropped next to Sakusa. “Get out! Get help!”

  
Sakusa growled and put a clawed hand on not-Osamu’s head, pulling his hair so he’d look up at him. “Where are Komori and Osamu?”

  
“Sakusa!” Atsumu recognized the smoky smell of fire and jumped on the werewolf. Not-Osamu took the chance and ran out. “Shit.” He tried to follow, but the corridor was empty. “Osamu!” It didn’t take long to find him. There was a trail of blood drops that led to a supply closet. “Osamu?”

  
“What’s this?” Aran appeared behind him, helped him bring Osamu out. He was alive. “Seriously, you have to be more careful with your stupid fights.”

  
“It wasn’t me! Sakusa!”

  
“I’m here.”

  
“Wait. Tell me something only Sakusa would know.”

  
He sighed. “We met in the sub-18 camp.”

  
“Not good enough.”

  
“You think he’s the nogitsune?”

  
“It just disguised itself as Osamu, that’s why he’s knocked out!” He nodded at Sakusa. “Try again.”

  
“We met in the corridor. Kageyama was there. You killed a cockroach in my room.”

  
“And you left without thanking me.”

  
“Yeah.”

  
“No, I want you to say it.”

  
“And I left without thanking you.”

  
“And you’re sorry.”

  
He gave him another one of his eye rolls. “And I’m sorry.”

  
“Hey, Atsumu?”

  
“Yes, Aran?”

  
“There’s a loose nogitsune in the building?”

  
He swallowed. “Yup.”

  
“And you wasted our time with that because…?” He talked over his answer. “Don’t bother. I’m getting Kita.”

  
“Wait! We’re coming with you.” Atsumu picked Osamu up. “We can’t get out of each other’s sight.”

  
“Atsumu, check him.”

  
“You’re right! Aran, tell me something only you would know!”

  
“I taught you how to jump serve.”

  
“Okay, it’s him.”

  
“And I almost gave up because you sucked at it. Once you mistimed it and somehow ended up hitting the ball straight at your face and you broke your nose, and Suna probably still has the video in his blackmail folder-”

  
“Okay, I think that’s enough, thank you! I believe you.”

  
“Remind me to ask him about the video.” Aran looked at Sakusa. “You need help?”

  
“I’m fine.” He was looking at Atsumu without hiding his amusement. “Let’s go.”

  
. . .

  
Bokuto looked away from the TV as Akaashi walked in. “Everything alright?”

  
“Yeah, Daishou’s fine. Everything seemed normal.” He greeted the others. “You’re calling off protection, then?”

  
“Yeah. We need the resources here.”

  
“Did anything happen while I was out?”

  
“No,” Bokuto pulled him closer, “just in case there’s another attack.” He ran a knuckle over his collarbone. “Are you okay? It doesn’t hurt, right? It didn’t get worse after playing?”

  
“I’m okay,” Akaashi answered, hugging him tight. Bokuto buried his face on his neck. “Do you want to go somewhere?”

  
“Where?”

  
“Anywhere. Just for a little while. I’m tired and I missed you.” His lips brushed Bokuto’s ear.

  
“I love you, but we shouldn’t leave right now.”

  
He smiled sadly. “Okay.”

  
“Hey,” Bokuto bumped their noses together, “I said I love you.”

  
“I love you too.” Bokuto moved his head away from his face and studied him. His eyes were as blue and beautiful as always. He frowned, just like Akaashi. “What’s wrong?”

  
Bokuto swiped at the impostor’s foot and pinned him to the floor. “Where’s Akaashi!?”

  
“Bokuto!” The rest of the pack approached them, Konoha in the lead.

  
“It’s not Akaashi! It’s the fox thing!”

  
“Kotaro, you’re hurting me again!”

  
“Shut up! Where is he!?”

  
“I’m right here!”

  
“Akaashi?” He turned to Konoha. “By how many points did we beat Akaneyama on our second set this morning?”

  
He blinked, looking panicked between him and Bokuto. “I’m not sure! I don’t remember right now! Why would I remember that?”

  
“Akaashi would remember!” Bokuto looked at Konoha, eyes pleading. “You have to believe me! It’s an impostor!”

  
Konoha walked over to the door and closed it. “Konoha?” the fake Akaashi said. “We’re all paranoid. I understand that. But that question was absurd.”

  
“I agree. Akaashi might not remember the exact number of points we won by,” he stood over them, “but he’d for sure remember that we played against Morikawa. So what did you do with our vice-captain?”

  
The impostor made a feral face that made Bokuto’s blood boil. “Where is-“

  
Konoha shoved him out of the way as fire hit the ceiling. The nogitsune opened the door and ran out. Bokuto got out in time to see it jump out of a window. He sprinted up to it and saw it disappear into the inn where Karasuno was staying. “Konoha!” He called over the sound of fire extinguishers. “Call Daichi!”

  
. . .

  
“Yachi, you have to come upstairs.”

  
“One second,” she lowered the phone from her ear, “what’s wrong? Is it Kageyama?”

  
Suga shook his head no. “You have to come to our room. The nogitsune is here.”

  
“What?”

  
“Bokuto saw him walk in. Did you see anyone come through the door?”

  
She’d been in the dining room, which didn’t have a view of the main door. “No. I did hear it open, though.” She shivered. “That was the nogitsune? Wait, how can I trust you?”

  
“The nogitsune wouldn’t know that you’re talking to Kyotani, or that you started dating in November.”

  
Yachi nodded. “Okay. Okay, let me hang up.” She brought the phone up again. “I have to go.”

  
“Yeah, I was listening. Be careful.”

  
“I will. I love you.”

  
“I love you too.”

  
She followed the senior up to the big room. She looked around and did a head count. Everyone but Daichi was there, but he came in not too long after they did. He closed the door and looked at Suga. “The first time I tried to cook for you I burned everything and we had to order pizza.”

  
“And you wanted to order plain margherita and I almost broke up with you right then and there because that’s basic and sad.”

  
“Ouch.”

  
“Am I lying?”

  
“About the pizza I wanted or about it being basic and sad?” Suga gave him a look that meant both. “Is everyone here?”

  
“Yes.”

  
“Well, I checked the whole inn. There’s no extra people here, and the workers are all accounted for. So this is it. Who can vouch for one another?”

  
After many half-hearted accusations and fearful explanations, they were left with two options. Two people hadn’t been spotted by anyone in the last half hour. Coach Ukai, who said he’d been smoking on a balcony but hadn’t been seen by anyone, and Tanaka, who said he’d gone out to talk to a friend from the girls’ volleyball team representing Miyagi. Noya could vouch for him having said he was doing that, but not for anything else.

  
“Sorry. It was a stupid thing to do.” Kiyoko took his hand. “I’m sorry.”

  
“Coach?”

  
“I don’t know what to say.” He was looking warily around the room. “I just know it’s not me and I don’t like this at all.”

  
“What was Mr. Takeda’s name?”

  
He pursed his lips. “Ittetsu, but he was on the news and everything. The nogitsune could know that.”

  
Yachi looked at Saeko. She was staring at Tanaka, unblinking. She’d balled her hands into fists to stop them from shaking. Kiyoko was glancing between Saeko and Tanaka, looking anguished. Daichi started to ask the coach another question, but Saeko raised her voice. “How old were you?”

  
Tanaka looked at her. “When?”

  
“When it happened.”

  
“Can you… be more specific?”

  
Kiyoko made a strangled sound. Tanaka turned to her but she was already twisting his arm and dropping him to the floor, her knee landing on his back. “What did you do to him?”

  
“Block the exits!”

  
Everyone rushed to cover the door and the windows. Yachi was pushed back by Suga, who had his claws out. She saw the shrine out of the corner of her eye, with the stuffed dinosaur and the charm and the glasses, and ran towards it, dragging it into a corner to keep it safe. Saeko tried to get closer to them, but Ukai grabbed her arms and pulled her into a different corner, behind Daichi. He growled, eyes red. “Where’s Tanaka?”

  
The nogitsune kept struggling against Kiyoko, but she wouldn’t let go. “Answer him!”

  
“I don’t think so.”

  
“Kiyoko!”

  
Several people ran towards them. Kageyama got there first. Yachi watched as he tackled Kiyoko away from the nogitsune, narrowly avoiding a flame that only burned air and disappeared. The werewolves rushed to contain it again, but it was chaos.

  
“No!”

  
Yachi couldn’t see what was going on, but that had been Yamaguchi screaming. The crowd started to walk away. Two Yamaguchis were holding on to each other. “He’s the nogitsune!”

  
“Shut up! I’m me! Take off my face!”

  
“Guys, it’s me!” The first one turned to Tsukishima. “Tsuki! You know it’s me!”

  
“Don’t talk to him!”

  
“Stop!” Daichi scratched his head while he looked between the two identical Yamaguchis. “Dammit.”

  
Suga walked up to him. “It’s okay. Tsukishima, come here.”


	6. Everything Is Not What It Seems

Yachi had made her way over to Saeko. She was on the floor, Coach Ukai to one side and Kiyoko on the other, and her hands were freely shaking now, so Yachi took them. “Are you okay?” She didn’t answer. She was staring at nothing.

  
“Tsukishima?”

  
He’d been staring at the two Yamaguchis for a while, and he didn’t answer Suga, just got one step closer to them. One reached for him, the other one slapped his hand away. Tsukishima still didn’t speak.

  
“Kei-“

  
“Shut up.”

  
Both Yamaguchis were crying silently, and Yachi realized that she’d started crying too. She held on to Saeko and waited.

  
Tsukishima raised a hand to the Yamaguchi on the right. The one on the left started shaking his head. The first one took his hand. “I knew you’d know me, Kei.” Tsukishima nodded and bent Yamaguchi’s hand quickly back towards his forearm, making a sickening crunch. “Agh! What are you doing?”

  
“You got the number of freckles wrong.”

  
“I hate all of-“ The real Yamaguchi punched him in the face. The nogitsune stumbled back, landed against a window, and put its good hand over it. It started to glow with heat.

  
“Don’t let it get away!”

  
It was too late. The glass shattered and the nogitsune got out. Kiyoko jumped after it, Daichi after her. Suga stopped at the window and got his phone out. “They’re getting back into the hotel. I’m calling Bokuto. Everyone listen to me! If we get separated again, when you find one of ours, don’t talk to them. If they start talking to you, it’s the nogitsune. If it’s Daichi or Kiyoko, ask questions, understood? Let’s go!”

  
The pack followed. “Where’s Ryu?” Saeko’s voice was barely a whisper. Coach Ukai was trying to help her get up, but her legs weren’t cooperating. “I lost Ryu?”

  
“We’re gonna find him, c’mon.”

  
Yachi didn’t let go of Saeko. She closed her eyes and listened. “He’s alive.”

  
“Are you sure?”

  
“Yes.”

  
“Atsumu?” Yachi’s eyes followed Hinata and Kageyama, who was talking on the phone as they ran out of the room. She took Saeko’s other side and helped the coach bring her back up to her feet.

  
“Are you coming?” Tsukishima asked them from the door. He was holding up Yamaguchi’s hand, and he looked away from them to check the blood on his knuckles. Nothing that wouldn’t heal in a minute.

  
“You kids go ahead,” said Coach Ukai. “We’ll make our way to the hotel at our pace. Be careful.”

  
Yachi squeezed Saeko’s hands before letting go and running after Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. She tried to listen to the voices, tried to ask them. If she was able to see those threads Coach Ukai had been talking about, maybe she could find Tanaka. Try as she might, she didn’t see anything of the sort. But she wasn’t going to stop trying.

  
. . .

  
“I don’t like this. What’s taking them so long?”

  
Yaku shook his head, looking away from Kai. “I don’t know.” The corridor was empty. Just then, Kenma turned the corner, hands in his pockets, looking as bored as usual.

“Kenma! I asked you to stop going off alone.”

  
“Sorry. The wi-fi in our room sucks.”

  
“Not an excuse?”

  
“Sorry.”

  
“We’re on high alert!” Lev and Yamamoto appeared at the other end of the corridor. “Where’s everyone else?”

  
“Karasuno is here.” Yamamoto explained. “Bokuto said to get Kuroo and everyone else downstairs.”

  
“I’ll get Kuroo.”

  
“Kenma, can you grab my phone?” asked Lev. “I left it charging in the room.”

  
“Yeah, no problem.” He walked in and closed the door again.

  
Lev’s jaw dropped. “He didn’t complain or tell me to get it myself! Do you guys think he finally likes me?”

  
Yaku turned to Kai. He was already going for the door, but it wouldn’t open. Yaku yelled out, “Kuroo! That’s not Kenma!”

  
“The door’s not giving in,” Kai said. “Should we break it?”

  
Yaku kicked a hole in it and the others helped him make it bigger. He could smell smoke. Yaku managed to slip inside and found Kuroo patting flames out of his shirt, Fukunaga pinning the nogitsune to the wall. Kai threw him a fire extinguisher from the hallway and Yaku doused the captain while the rest made it into the room. “Let me see.”

  
“It melted,” Kuroo said, trying to lift his t-shirt where parts of it had stuck to his burnt stomach. “Oh, that’s disgusting. I think I’m gonna throw- ow, ow, ow!” Yaku ripped away the pieces of cloth. The wound was looking terrible, but at least it seemed like it was only flesh now. “Dammit, Yaku!”

  
“You’re welcome.”

  
He looked back at the nogitsune, who had just managed to get away from Fukunaga. Yaku aimed the fire extinguisher’s nozzle at him. “Stop right there!”

  
It run headfirst into the others, who were blocking the door. It tackled them to the floor and, in the confusion, turned into Kai. Yaku wasn’t sure which one was the real one. “Hey, cut that out!” Okay, now he was pretty sure.

  
“You cut it out! He’s the nogitsune!”

  
“Hey, take it easy,” said Fukunaga.

  
“How do you want me to take it easy when he’s trying to turn you against me?”

  
The Kai who’d first spoken smiled and got behind the other one. “Dostoyevsky.”

  
They sprung to get the nogitsune, but it shoved past the real Kai and got out of Yaku’s sight. Daichi appeared at the busted door, coming from the opposite direction, and stopped in his tracks. He looked down the corridor and shook his head. He was talking on the phone. “Yeah, he’s here. The nogitsune got him, though, and it’s gone again. Okay, I’ll bring them to the meeting point.” He dropped his hand, leaving the call still on. “You okay, Kuroo?”

  
He looked down at his charred torso and back at him. “Do I look okay to you?”

  
“This is a pretty extreme cop out, man. If you’re scared about tomorrow’s game, just forfeit.”

  
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

  
. . .

  
The first-years were patrolling together. Hinata was in the back with Kageyama, Yachi behind Yamaguchi and Tsukishima. She was the one holding up the phone with the ongoing conference call they were using as a safety measure. They turned a corner and found a janitor sweeping. They stopped.

  
“We found it,” Tsukishima said, twisting his head towards the phone and holding Yamaguchi back. “Fifth floor. Send back-up.”

  
“How do you know?”

  
“Look at his left hand.”

  
Hinata squinted and saw it looked weird. Broken, from when it was impersonating Yamaguchi. He also caught the soft glow of its throat that meant he was about to make fire. “Guys, back off!”

  
Yachi sneaked out between them. They all went to reach for her, but she’d caught them off guard and was already too far away. Thankfully, she was faster than the nogitsune. She wailed and it covered its ears. She kept walking as its nose started bleeding. It dropped a knee on the floor. Yachi ran out of air.

  
“Yachi!” Yamaguchi tried to grab her, but the nogitsune won that race. It pulled her towards itself with a grin and Yamaguchi took a step back.

  
“A banshee? That’s useful.” It tapped a finger to her forehead and she slumped down, unconscious. “I’m taking her.”

  
“Unlikely.”

  
The twins were blocking the other end of the corridor. Atsumu held a hand to the side, palm up. Osamu slapped his against it. Both hands lit on fire, burning as bright orange as their eyes.

  
They sent two flames its way. The nogitsune let go of Yachi and raised its good hand, making the fire coalesce around it. Yamaguchi and Tsukishima were already on the move, the first picking Yachi up while the second one covered them. Hinata let them pass between him and Kageyama.

  
The fire kept dancing on its hand. “I’m not here for you. Let me go and I won’t kill you.”

  
“Like he said,” Osamu said in a tired voice, “unlikely.”

  
The nogitsune sent the fireball back towards them, but it changed into blue fire as it left its hand. Atsumu pushed Osamu out of the way and dropped down, but the flame got him and his face crumpled up in pain before he started rolling to put it out.

  
“You two are young, aren’t you?” The nogitsune laughed. “Well. It’s a shame you chose to die.” It prepared another flame.

  
Atsumu said, “dude, blue foxfire’s awesome. How old are you?”

  
“A hundred and fifty, give or take. A pity you won’t get there. But hey, at least you got to see it!”

  
“Oh, I have a friend who does it too. Only cooler.”

  
“Get out of there, man!” Kageyama yelled, but Atsumu just looked thoroughly entertained.

  
“It’s okay! I don’t want to miss this.”

  
The nogitsune sent the fire towards Atsumu. This time, it didn’t reach him. The one who’d went after it first behind the hotel, Suna, appeared in front of him. He reached towards the flame looking like it was just another regular day for him. He took it in his hand like it was something tangible and closed his fist around it. Suna exhaled smoke through his nostrils. “Wanna try picking on someone your own age?”

  
The nogitsune took a step back, hiding a hand behind him that was lighting up again. Unless it wasn’t hiding, and it was going to shoot at them next. Hinata put himself between Kageyama and the fire. “Kageyama, get back!”

  
The flame didn’t go to them, though. It went to the ceiling, making the fire sprinklers there go off and soak everyone in the hallway.

  
The nogitsune turned towards the werewolves, but Hinata squared up and roared at him. It looked at the kitsunes again. Atsumu was joined on the floor by Osamu now, chilling against the wall like they were watching a show, and Suna was just laughing. He’d been preparing a flame of his own, and now he looked at his smoking hand, extinguished by the sudden rain.

  
“What now, huh?”

  
“Now?” Suna’s eyes flickered off from orange to green. “Him.”

  
Aran turned the corner without any rush. When he was looking straight in their direction, Hinata saw lightning traveling up and down his right arm. The nogitsune turned to run towards them, but there was a flash of light, and then the nogitsune was wriggling on the floor. It twitched and finally stopped moving. The nogitsune’s shape changed into what Hinata assumed was his true appearance. He didn’t know him.

  
“Are you guys okay?”

  
“He did something to our friend.”

  
“And she’s not waking up,” Tsukishima added from out of sight.


	7. Don't Leave Me

“So,” Bokuto started, “you’re over a hundred years old… and you’re trying to kill us… because you didn’t get to play in a volleyball tournament?”

  
“He’s a nogitsune,” said the captain of Inarizaki, Kita, who was keeping a hand on his shoulder to shock him if he tried anything, “he lives for pain and strife. I’ve met nogitsunes with less of a reason to start chaos.”

  
“And you’re forgetting,” the nogitsune, who Suga had been told was called Daishou, interjected, “that I hate him.” He had his hands tied behind his back, so he just nodded at Kuroo.

  
The captain of Nekoma didn’t acknowledge the taunt. “Where’s Kenma?”

  
“Trapped in his worst nightmare. Do you want me to check and tell you what it is?”

  
“Wake him up right now or I’ll look up the slowest and most painful ways to die and I’ll test them out on you.”

  
“But he’s my bargaining chip!” He gave him a deranged smile. “They all are.”

  
“I think you have enough chips already. At least let her wake up.”

  
Daishou followed Kuroo’s eyes to Yachi and shrugged. “I don’t feel like it.”

  
“Wait,” Kuroo turned to the group of kitsunes. “If what you said is true, how did I wake up on my own? When he made me sleepwalk I woke up before hurting anyone.”

  
“He let you.”

  
“Never underestimate the power of psychological torture,” Daishou said with a chuckle. “Have you slept well since?” Kuroo didn’t bother answering. “I made my point.”

  
“Let Yachi wake up and give me back my brother or I’ll kill you myself.”

  
Suga rested a hand on Saeko’s shoulder. They’d been sitting together, looking over Yachi, who hadn’t so much as stirred. The teacher had been silent since the meeting started. She’d been allowed to attend given that her brother was one of Daishou’s hostages, along with Coach Ukai, there in his druid capacity. Besides them and the nogitsune’s two present victims, Yachi and Sakusa, it was only the captains and vice-captains of the teams so far involved and the kitsunes.

  
“I don’t see a reason to. And if you kill me, they never wake up.”

  
“So you do see a reason to keep her asleep?” Kita said. “You wanted the banshee to know if you were going to die. What use is she to you unconscious, when you have other hostages?”

  
“Hmm… fair enough.” Yachi’s eyes fluttered open. Saeko started softly talking to her, the coach asking her questions. Daishou smiled again. “So what now? You caught me, but you don’t know where your friends are, and I’ll never tell.”

  
“We’ll get it out of you.”

  
“I doubt it. And remember! Kill me and you kill them too!”

  
“I see them,” Yachi whispered. Suga looked down at her, but she was looking at the coach. “I can see them.”

  
“Really?”

  
“They’re like… golden. Shimmering. They’re all tangled up.” She lifted a hand and pulled it back immediately. Her eyes kept jumping around, fixing on things Suga couldn’t see. Yachi looked at Saeko’s chest and closed her fingers over empty air. Grasping at something invisible, she followed it away from Saeko, her other hand doing plucking motions here and there. “I got him. That’s him.” Her fist closed over nothing and she got up with their help. “I found Tanaka.” Everyone was looking at her, and she looked back at them, smiling. “I think I can find them.”

  
. . .

  
Tanaka walked into the gym and a tense silence fell. Everyone looked at him. Some of them turned right away, some kept staring angrily. Daichi walked up to him. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  
“I’m here for practice?”

  
“I think I made it pretty clear you’re not welcome anymore.”

  
“Dude, what are you talking about?”

  
“I warned you,” Daichi’s eyes turned red, “to not show your face around here.”

  
“Why? I don’t- Noya!” He’d been looking at Tanaka, but now he turned his back on him. Kiyoko did meet his eyes, but she looked disgusted. “Kiyoko? I don’t understand what’s happening.”

  
She just shook her head. Daichi shoved him and Tanaka fell down the steps that separated the gym from the yard, landing on his arm. “Don’t let me see you here again.” He closed the door.

  
“What did I do!?” He got up, tried to open it again. “Daichi! What did I do?”

  
The door wouldn’t budge, and when he stopped trying, there was only silence. Tanaka looked through the barred windows, but he couldn’t see inside. He gave up and headed home, racking his brain for an explanation, but he came up empty.

  
Saeko would know what to do. At the very least, his sister would comfort him. “Hey, I’m home.” Saeko turned around. She was in the hall, about to leave as he walked in. Her hand was wrapped around the handle of a suitcase. “Where are you going?”

  
“Away.” She walked past him and out into the street.

  
“What? Where?”

  
“I’m done. I can’t stand it anymore.”

  
Tanaka followed her. “Stand what?”

  
“You.” She unlocked her car and threw the suitcase into the trunk.

  
He ran to block the driver’s door. The tears he’d fought back at school were streaming down his face now. “No, not you too, please, just tell me what I did. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

  
“You’re the reason mom and dad left. You know that, right?” She crossed her arms. “If only they’d taken me with them…”

  
“No!” Tanaka shook his head desperately. “They left because they were addicts and they couldn’t take care of us!”

  
“They left because they hated you. And I’m tired of pretending that I don’t, so I’m leaving too.” She pushed him away from the car and got in.

  
“But you can’t-“ Tanaka grabbed the door, pulled against his sister. “I’m sixteen! You can’t leave me!”

  
“Watch me.”

  
“Just tell me what I did and I’ll fix it! They’ll send me away from my friends!”

  
“What friends?” The memory of the scene in the gym hit Tanaka like a punch to the gut. “You never had any. People put up with you because you’re the sad kid who has no parents, but no one likes you. You’ve always been alone, Ryu.”

  
He said through a sob, “that’s not true.”

  
“Why are you crying, then, if you’re so sure it’s not true? Because you know I’m right.” She punched at his fingers and he let go. She closed the door. “But I’m finally gonna be free from you.”

  
“Saeko, please.” The car started. He held on to the side mirror. “Saeko, stop! Don’t leave!” Tanaka tried to get leverage, digging his heels against the ground, but he was being dragged through the pavement as the car backed up into the street. “Please! Saeko!” He lost his grip and watched the car drove away from where he fell.

  
Tanaka lost track of time. When he collected himself enough to get up and go back into the house, it had gotten considerably darker. He went up to his room and hid under the covers.

  
It couldn’t be happening. It had to be a nightmare, but it felt horribly real. Why would his friends like him? They were always telling him that he was too loud, and Daichi was constantly scolding him for picking fights, and he wasn’t even that good at volleyball anymore, compared to the new members. And of course Kiyoko hadn’t actually loved him. How could someone as perfect as her like someone as damaged as him? And his sister…

  
No. Saeko… That didn’t make sense. No, the day he’d gotten distracted and turned up to where she was waiting in the car to pick him up half an hour late, Saeko had been pissed off at him and had left him behind to walk home alone, but when he got there crying and begging for her not to leave him too, she’d cried with him and apologized a thousand times. She’d taken his face in her hands and promised that she was never leaving. So this couldn’t be happening. She promised.

  
Tanaka tried to retrace his steps, remember his evening, but he couldn’t remember much before going to the gym, just a vague feeling that he’d been in class.

  
He kicked the covers off. “This is a nightmare. Wake up.” He pinched his arms, slapped his face. “Wake up! C’mon, dude, wake up!”

  
A nightmare, like people had been having. Caused by a nogitsune.

  
“I know this is not real! I’m waking up!”

  
“You’re not.”

  
Tanaka turned to find an annoyed-looking guy with green hair on the corner of his bedroom. “Woah, woah, have you been there all this time?”

  
“No, I have a life.”

  
“You’re the nogitsune, right? I’m gonna wake up, asshole! I know this shit isn’t real!”

  
“You couldn’t wake up unless I let you. But it’s boring if you know it’s not real. And I think you’ll be worse off awake anyway.” He smirked and poised his fingers for a snap. “I hope I get to see your sister find your dead body.”

  
Tanaka couldn’t answer before he snapped them. He opened his eyes. He was in absolute darkness. He blinked and used his werewolf sight to take in his surroundings. Tanaka was on the floor of a train car, probably underground. He sat up and found another person to his right, two more to his left. He crawled first towards the right. It was the setter from Fukurodani.

  
“Hey, man!” His brain was still foggy as he tried to remember his name. Bokuto said it all the time, c’mon, what was- “Akaashi! Hey, dude, time to wake up!”

  
Tanaka tried shaking him awake, but he was out cold. He turned his face and found dried blood that had fallen from a wound somewhere on his head. There was a clean line right through it, from the tears that were flowing slowly out of his eyes. He lifted one of his eyelids, but Akaashi didn’t react. Tanaka searched his pockets for his phone. It was there. He turned the flashlight on and aimed it at him, but the pupil didn’t change size.

  
“You’re having a nightmare. It’s not real. Can you hear me? It’s a nightmare, Akaashi!” It was no use.

  
He kept the flashlight on and went to check on the other two, but he changed his mind. He pulled up Saeko’s number and tried to call her. There was no service. He texted her that he was okay, but it didn’t go through either. “Shit.”

  
Tanaka shook his head and went back to his plan of checking who else was there. The other two people were Kenma and someone he didn’t know wearing an Itachiyama jacket. Probably that Komori guy they’d mentioned when they found Sakusa.

  
The doors were open, so Tanaka looked out cautiously. There was another train. Through the windows on the other side of their subway car he could only see a concrete wall.

  
“I’ll be back for you,” he said, even though they probably couldn’t hear him. It felt rude to just leave without saying anything.

  
He looked through the glass of the next train, but it was empty, so he started walking towards the closest of its ends and tripped on something. He rolled away from where he’d landed and narrowly avoided something that fell from the ceiling with a plasticky sound. A grenade, without the pull ring. Tanaka’s heart skipped a beat. He took it and tossed it over the empty train. He saw the flash of the explosion, felt it shake his bones. Concrete pieces and dust rained on him. A chain reaction started on the ceiling and he ran back into the train. The world eventually returned to silence.

  
Tanaka walked out again, examining the ground first. It was covered in debris, but he found the trip wire he’d set off. The space between his train and the next had several of them, but with some luck, those explosions had taken the falling grenades out of the picture. Which didn’t mean there weren’t other traps that he hadn’t found yet.

  
“Well… shit.”


	8. Way Down Under The Ground

Hinata had been walking with everyone else behind Yachi as she followed the invisible thread towards Tanaka. A couple of old people had asked them what was happening and Bokuto explained that she was training to be a mime. They hadn’t looked very convinced by him, but they’d moved on.

  
They arrived at a closed subway station. “It continues inside.”

  
Hinata looked around. It wasn’t crowded, but there were people on the street. They were a weird enough bunch already, what with the girl grasping the air like it was a climbing rope in the front, and the restrained guy they were trying to hide by surrounding him with the thick of the group. Hinata had an unsettling thought.

  
“Why isn’t he trying to escape? He could ask for help. If they saw him like that, people would call the police.”

  
Kageyama just shrugged. He’d never been much of a talker, but since Yachi had announced his death, it was harder than ever to get a sentence out of him.

  
“We’re probably taking him right where he wants to be,” Suga muttered. “I don’t like this at all.”

  
Whatever the case was, the problem remained. If they forced open the grate door, there would be questions.

  
“We need a distraction,” said Kuroo.

  
“Agreed.” Yaku pointed at Yamamoto. “Taketora, pick a fight with someone. Put on a show.”

  
“Me!” Lev raised his hand. “I want to help!”

  
Yamamoto started shoving him away from the group, closer to the few people that they needed to not pay attention to the breaking and entering they were about to commit. “What the hell did you just say to me?”

  
“I just said I wanted to help!”

  
“Dude, just go with it,” he whispered before raising his voice again. “Think you’re tough, huh?”

  
“Uh… yeah! I… I might be bad at this, actually.”

  
“Yamamoto,” Kuroo said, “you have my permission to hit him.”

  
“Wait, what?”

  
Yamamoto grabbed the collar of his jacket. “You’re a werewolf, dude, you’ll heal.” He lifted him up and sent him flying through the air.

  
“Ow!” Lev landed with a roll. “Wait, can I hit him back?”

  
Yamamoto laughed and cracked his knuckles. “I don’t know, can you?”

  
“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon,” whispered Bokuto, shaking the door. Someone from Fukurodani helped him. They pulled and pulled, and the two faking the fight started yelling louder, trying to speak over the suspicious noises, until the grate finally gave.

  
“Hey, hey, enough!” Yaku and Kai walked over to Yamamoto and Lev, pretending to stop their pretend fight.

  
“They’ll walk around the block and meet us downstairs,” Kuroo said, stepping aside to enter last. “Let’s get in before anyone notices.”

  
Hinata took Kageyama’s hand and they started walking down the stairs towards the lightless underground. Everyone supernatural had their eyes glowing and some were even transformed, fangs and claws out, ready for whatever may be waiting for them.

  
“If we’re walking into his lair, we must be careful,” Kita said from the front. “Don’t forget he’s a trickster. Be alert.”

  
They got to the platforms and Yachi looked down at the train tracks. “It goes into the tunnel. That way.”

  
“I think there’s a train depot not far in that direction,” a guy from Itachiyama said. “This used to be the end of the line before they changed the route.”

  
“Is that where they are?” Bokuto asked Daishou. He ignored him and Bokuto grabbed him by the neck. “I asked you a question.”

  
“Keep walking and find out.”

  
“It’s got to be it,” Yachi said. “There are other threads leading into it, and down here there aren’t as many as up there in the street. It has to be them.”

  
“How many?”

  
“Four.”

  
“Checks out.” Bokuto jumped down onto the tracks and held his arms out for her. “Need help?”

  
The drop was taller than Yachi, so she sat on the edge and put her hands on Bokuto’s shoulders. He lifted her by the waist and set her down like she weighed nothing to him, which she probably didn’t. The rest followed them, Coach Ukai and Saeko getting helped down too. Asahi jumped down on his own, earning himself a pout from Noya.

  
“You didn’t let me help you!”

  
“I know I’m only human but I can manage that jump, Noya.”

  
“But I wanted us to be, like, cute!”

  
“You’re always cute.”

  
“Aw!” The frown disappeared from his sweet face. “Thanks, babe! You too!”

  
Daishou was thrown overboard by Kuroo and raised back to his feet by the twins, and then they resumed their walking. Hinata was holding Kageyama’s hand so tight that he ended up pulling it off of his grasp. “My hand fell asleep.”

  
“Sorry,” Hinata whispered. “I’m scared.” He looked up at him and grabbed his sleeve. “Maybe we should go back. I’m sure they don’t need us here.”

  
“I’m not leaving.”

  
“But it could happen down here!”

  
“It could happen anywhere.”

  
“I don’t think you’ve understood that you could die!”

  
“I won’t.”

  
“Mr. Takeda did! You can’t just decide not to die! If Yachi said so-“

  
“I don’t want to talk about it.”

  
“You say that every time I try to talk about it!”

  
“What happened here?”

  
That was Kuroo. Hinata started jumping to see ahead. There was an opening into a wider space, and he could see a couple of trains covered in pieces of concrete from the ceiling. It looked like there had been an upside down bombing.

  
“My grenades! I’d worked so hard on them!”

  
“What the hell are you talking ab-“

  
Kuroo’s question was drowned out by high-pitched sounds, followed by explosions. Hinata was momentarily blinded by the sudden lightshow and threw himself on top of Kageyama, making them both drop to the ground. When his eyes recovered, he could see the last of the fireworks go off and the tunnel go dark again.

  
“Where is he!?” Kuroo roared. “Where the hell did he go?”

  
“You let him go, ‘Tsumu?”

  
“Me? What about you? This isn’t my fault!”

  
“It’s okay.” Hinata saw Yachi get out from under Kiyoko. “I can see him. He went that way.”

  
“Is that where the others are?”

  
She shook his head no. “Their threads go there, to the left.”

  
“I’m getting my brother.”

  
“Let’s split,” Kuroo said, “surround him. This place is probably a dead end. Some of us should stay here and block the exit.”

  
Bokuto turned to the group. “Karasuno, you guys go find them and bring them back here. We’ll take the direction he took. Nekoma and Itachiyama, you’ll take left and right and make sure he has nowhere to run.”

  
“I’ll go with you,” Kita said to Bokuto. “Aran, pick a group.”

  
“We’ll go with Itachiyama,” Atsumu interjected.

  
“I’ll go get the hostages and then I’ll meet you.”

  
“Alright, Suna, you go with Nekoma. Be very careful. That won’t be the last trap he’s set. We’ll stick with Sugawara’s plan. If you find one of us, don’t talk to them.”

  
Bokuto nodded. “Get moving!”

  
. . .

  
There were trains as far as the eye could see. Daichi and Suga led the group, with Yachi behind them, flanked by Kiyoko and Saeko, who had her phone out with the flash on to see in front of herself. Hinata was right behind them with Kageyama, the space only really big enough for two people to walk comfortably. At last, when they got to the corner of the depot, Yachi looked to her right. “Here.” She whispered.

  
Tanaka’s head peeked out from one of the train cars, almost all the way at the farthest corner from the entrance. “Guys?”

  
“Ryu!”

  
Kiyoko held Saeko back. “Are you sure it’s him, Yachi?”

  
She nodded energetically and Kiyoko let her go, following close behind. “Stop!” Tanaka started to walk towards them, looking at the ground. “Be careful! There are traps!”

  
“The nogitsune said something about grenades?” Daichi asked.

  
“Yeah, and I found arrow traps too.” He showed them proof. There was an arrow going through his forearm. “Can someone help me?”

  
“Ryu!” Her sister took off running again, jumping over the wires. “I’ll murder him.”

  
“Why didn’t you take it out to heal?” Kiyoko asked, taking his wrist carefully to examine the damage.

  
“Tried to, almost passed out, decided it was an original piercing to have. Can you please take it out?”

  
“Yeah, um… it’s going to hurt.”

  
“Yeah, I assumed- ow!” Kiyoko broke off one end. “I assumed it wasn’t going to tick- shit!” The arrow was out of his arm. “Ow. Thanks.”

  
Saeko enveloped him in her arms, and Tanaka hugged her back so tight that she started coughing and he had to let up a little. Daichi and Suga walked into the train car, followed by Aran. Tanaka pointed them towards the other hostages. Hinata was waiting his turn to hug him when a laugh came from behind them.

  
“Good job with the grenades. I’m dying to see what you do with this one.”

  
The nogitsune was standing on top of the next train, and he threw something between the one Tanaka had left and the wall. Someone yelled to run, someone else, to take cover, and Hinata grabbed Kageyama’s arm, his brain racing for a way to keep him safe. To their left stood their team, scrambling to get away. To their right, a short sprint towards the opposite wall they’d been walking next to, which probably lead to another corridor. If they could get there fast enough, they could start putting trains between them and the explosion. But what about everyone else?

  
Before he could make up his mind, Kageyama picked him up, throwing him through the air towards the escape route Hinata had been thinking of. He met his blue eyes while he flew, held a hand out trying to reach for him. Kageyama ran. Hinata screamed his name, but it was drowned off by the bomb going off.


	9. I’ll Crawl Home To Him

Hinata couldn’t see through the dust. His superhuman sight wasn’t any help when his eyes kept watering. He tried to get up and fell right back down. He was face down, trapped under something. Concrete. He could move his toes, but he couldn’t get his legs free or turn around. “Kageyama!” He could hear only his heartbeat and the ringing in his ears. “Kageyama?”

  
“Shoyo?” He’d never heard Kageyama sound like that. Not even when he’d just woken up and his voice was all sleepy and soft. He sounded weak.

  
“Tobio!” Hinata kept struggling and managed to get one leg out, but the other one hurt too much. “Are you okay?”

  
“No.” Kageyama coughed, a wet and gurgling noise. “I’m sorry. I love you.”

  
“No, no, no.” Hinata tried to push what was pinning him down away with his free foot, yelled out half in pain, half in frustration. “What’s happening? Talk to me!”

  
“You were right.” The dust was starting to settle and Hinata found Kageyama’s silhouette sitting against a train car a few steps away. If only he could get up. “I’m sorry.”

  
Hinata gasped in surprise and immediately started coughing. A metal bar, a handrail flung during the explosion, had ran through Kageyama’s chest, pinning him to the outside of the less damaged train. He had his hands wrapped around the bar, head dropped back against the door of the train car. With every exhale of his very irregular breathing, Hinata could see bubbles of blood forming on his lips.

  
“Help! Suga! Daichi! Anyone, help!” He kicked at the piece of debris that trapped his leg. “Tobio, take it out. Just pull.”

  
“I’ve tried.”

  
“Get up, then.”

  
“I can’t.” The handrail had gone through him at an angle. The free end of it was aiming upwards, and Kageyama would have to be able to get up through the pain and unstuck himself from it. “I’m so sorry. I love you.”

  
“Stop! Get up!”

  
“I wrote letters,” he mumbled, “for my family. They’re in my bag.”

  
Hinata couldn’t see again. He could barely breathe. “Stop it. Just get up. You can do it.”

  
“There’s one for you.”

  
“You said it yourself! You’re not going to die!” Hinata kicked as hard as he could and the chunk of concrete bounced up enough to slide his leg out from under it. It was all bloodied, but Hinata turned back to Kageyama. “Just hold on!” He tried to get up, but his leg gave out, so he crawled towards him. “I’m going to take your pain away and you try to get up, okay?” Hinata grabbed his ankle and focused, but it hurt so much that his hand cramped and lost contact.

  
“Stop. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  
“No.” Hinata wiped tears away with his dirty sleeve. “No, please. Just try.”

  
Kageyama pressed one hand against the train and pushed himself up. He groaned through clenched teeth and made a little progress before sliding back down the blood-slick bar. He had a coughing fit. “I can’t.” He turned to Hinata. “I’m sorry. I love you.”

  
“No. Shut up.” Hinata blinked, shook his head hard to get rid of the tears. He met Kageyama’s gleaming eyes, but they seemed darker than usual. Hinata sat up next to him and grabbed his face to look closer. “Your eyes. They’re- they’re changing. They’re purple.”

  
“What?”

  
“Remember what-“

  
“Yeah, I know! I- Really?”

  
“You’re doing it! You’re going to be a true alpha! Get up!”

  
He tried again, Hinata pushing on his back to help him, but to no avail. Kageyama turned to his other side and retched. “I really can’t.”

  
“Please. Just try one more time.” Kageyama’s lips parted just as his purple irises flickered off. He grabbed Hinata’s shoulder and then the sudden strength left him. His eyes rolled into his head and he slid sideways onto Hinata, who shook him, called his name, but got no answer. He went back to screaming. “Help! Please!” Hinata’s instincts took over and he howled. His pack would find him. They had to.

  
“Hinata!” Someone landed on the ground close to them. “Oh, God. Daichi!” Suga closed the distance and assessed the damage. Kageyama’s chest wasn’t rising anymore. Suga didn’t turn to Hinata as he asked, “Hinata, are you okay?”

  
“I’m fine, j-just help him!” He closed his eyes, tried to find his heartbeat. He was fairly sure it was still there, much weaker than Suga’s and his own. “I think he was turning into an alpha, before he... passed out.”

  
“Really?” He started pulling on the metal bar, but his hands kept slipping. “Okay. Don’t worry. He’s going to make it.” Hinata wasn’t sure if he was trying to assure him or himself. There were two more thuds and Suga let go of the handrail. “Either my hands or the bar are too bloodied, but I can’t get a good grip. It’s really stuck to the train. I can’t get it out.”

  
Daichi took his place and started pulling.

  
“Wait.”

  
Aran crouched next to Kageyama, one hand glowing like heated metal, and he grasped the part of the handrail visible between his back and the train car, making it melt away. He started shaking his hand to cool it off and Daichi gave one quick pull. The bar was out.

  
Hinata slapped Kageyama. “Wake up! It’s out, wake up!” He wasn’t reacting and he looked up at Suga. “When’s he going to wake up?” Suga was pressing his jacket against the wound. He met Hinata’s eyes and looked back down without answering. “How long did it take you?”

  
“It was seconds once we got the water out of his lungs,” Daichi said in a grave voice. “But this is not the same thing.”

  
“What do you mean? His eyes were going red. I saw it.”

  
“Suga didn’t have a hole in his chest that you could see through.” Daichi was shaking his head. “This is a lot to heal.”

  
“I’m going to help find the nogitsune,” said Aran. “Uh… good luck.”

  
He started to walk away and met more Karasuno members who were approaching. “Everyone okay?”

  
“No.”

  
Coach Ukai made his way to them, opening his druid bag. “Let me see.”

  
“I don’t think you can do anything,” muttered Daichi. “His heart just stopped.”

  
Someone gave a muffled cry. Yachi. “Wait. It’s still here, I think! Move!” People parted and gave her a view of Kageyama. Aran walked over to them again. Yachi was nodding, or maybe just shaking. “He’s alive.”

  
“His heart has stopped.”

  
“He’s alive! I’m the banshee! I know what I’m saying!”

  
“You said he was going to die.” Hinata felt himself seething with anger towards Daichi, who seemed keen on not letting him have hope. He did have it. Kageyama couldn’t die. Not after he’d probably saved his life pushing him away from the explosion.

  
“Let me try.”

  
Hinata watched Aran raise a hand towards Kageyama. There was a spark and then little rays of electricity started jumping between his fingers. It looked like a spiderweb made out of light, everchanging, and he rested it against Kageyama’s chest. He spasmed, and Aran looked at Suga, who turned an ear towards Kageyama. “It didn’t work.”

  
“I’ll try again.”

  
“Listen, if he doesn’t have a heartbeat, he’s technically dead right?” Yachi wiped muddy tears away. Hinata saw that she had some cuts on her face. Everyone looked much worse for wear after the explosion. He didn’t dare ask about the ones who weren’t standing there. “So I was right, but he’s not gone. He’s still here. I can see it.”

  
“I believe you, Yachi.” Suga unzipped Kageyama's jacket and ripped his t-shirt to get a look at the wound. It looked terrible to Hinata, who was kept trying to take his pain away, even though there wasn’t any now. Aran shocked him again. “It’s still not beating,” despite what he said, Suga smiled, “but he’s healing.”

  
“Are you sure?”

  
Suga took his phone out and sat Kageyama up a little. He put the phone on flashlight mode behind his back and looked at the wound. “Yes. It’s closing.”

  
“Then let me work on it.” Suga scuttled away and Coach Ukai sat down before Kageyama and started taking out vials.

  
Aran zapped him a third time and Suga gasped. “It worked. Didn’t it?”

  
Daichi nodded and let out a shaky sigh of relief.

  
“Can you tell me where he is? The nogitsune?” Aran asked Yachi, getting up. “Can you find him? How does that work?”

  
“Not from here. I could find Tanaka because his thread was tangled with Saeko’s. Look,” she pinched her fingers over nothing in front of Aran’s chest, “you have tangles too. Your family, probably.”

  
“Not at my age. There’s no one left.”

  
She moved her other hand. “No, your right. It’s your friends. That was the captain. Anyway, you have, like, a spool of thread, here.” She laid a finger on his chest and he gasped. “Sorry! Did that hurt?”

  
He looked spooked out. “Yes?”

  
“Sorry! This is new to me! Um, so yeah, your thread is tangled with other people’s, but the nogitsune only had two. One of them was connected to Kuroo, but he isn’t here. So I can’t find him.”

  
“Can you find Suna? He went with Nekoma. We could follow him from there.”

  
She plucked the air a couple times. “Yes. He’s that way. Wait. They’re on the move.” Yachi stepped back. “They’re going fast.”

  
“We’ll go with you,” Daichi said, leaving a kiss on the top of Suga’s head. “Tell me when he wakes up. Yachi, come here. We’ll find them faster if I carry you.”

  
Daichi picked her up in his arms and they disappeared following Yachi’s directions. The others followed until it was only Suga and Coach Ukai with them. Hinata was finally running out of tears. “Is everyone else okay?”

  
“Mostly,” Suga said. He looked around and found the trail of blood Hinata had left when he dragged himself towards Kageyama, and then he saw his leg. “Hinata! Why didn’t you say anything?”

  
The coach looked away from Kageyama. “That should heal on its own, but it would help to take out the gravel. There’s some tweezers in that pocket.”

  
Suga got to work and Hinata complained as he dug around the wound, taking little bits of concrete out. “Really? Kageyama was impaled and technically dead and you’re complaining about this?”

  
“Well, it still hurts!” Suga started laughing, and Hinata did too. His was closer to hysterical laughing, but it felt cathartic all the same.

  
“That’s all I can do,” Coach Ukai said, rearranging the things on his bag. “Now it’s up to him.”

  
“When do you think he’ll wake up?”

  
“No idea. Let’s just give him some time.” Kageyama twitched. “Or not.”

  
“Kageyama?” His eyelashes fluttered and he had another spasm. “Tobio!”

  
He roared, chest lifting as his back arched. His eyelids opened to reveal red eyes. When it ended, he panted, clutching at the wound. A teardrop fell from Hinata’s chin to his forehead and he looked up at him. His eyes went back to their ocean blue, human shade. He twisted to hug Hinata and held him as if he could disappear at any moment.

  
“See?” His voice was only a rasp. “I told you I wasn’t going to die.”

  
“Liar! You totally thought you were!”

  
“I don't even get a cool one-liner after I almost died?”


	10. Let’s Just Talk About This

The sounds of roaring fire and lighting strikes kept getting louder until they were back at the entrance of the train depot. “Stay back,” Daichi told Yachi as he let her down on her feet again. He started to get closer, but stopped after a couple of steps.

  
It seemed like the nogitsune had tried to get out, but the people guarding the exit had managed to contain him, although not without a cost. The scent of burning flesh made Yachi gag. Most of the werewolves were staying out of the fight by that point. Yachi could only see blazes of light here and there, her eyes struggling to get used to first darkness, then light, and the foxes were too fast for her to follow.

  
Yachi looked away and tried to stop seeing the life threads. Now that she’d finally focused enough to find them, she couldn’t go back to seeing normal. She stared at her own and plucked at the tangles. There was Kiyoko. Yachi tried to follow it with her eyes. It seemed to go out into the tunnel. They had probably taken the unconscious hostages out there to keep them safe from the firestorm that was happening in the depot.

  
One of the twins, the blond one, hit the ground and rolled until he was stopped by Daichi, who helped him up. The side of his neck looked badly burnt and he seemed exhausted. “’Samu!?”

  
“I can help!” Asahi said. The kitsune turned to him and Yachi did too. He held up a round glass bottle and uncorked it, filling one hand with mountain ash. “If you can get me close enough to throw this, I can trap him.”

  
“Asahi, you could get hurt!”

  
He clenched his jaw but didn’t look at Noya. “Can you do it?”

  
“’Tsumu!” His brother was running over to him. He didn’t look much better. They clapped hands that caught flame.

  
“He has an idea,” the blond said. He rolled his shoulders and turned to Asahi. “Stay behind us. Uh… Maybe you should stoop a little.” They started to walk towards the fray, the kitsunes sending and redirecting fire, getting out of the way when it was blue flame. Asahi tried to stay behind them, helped by Noya, who’d followed them and had better reflexes. “Now!”

  
The twins left space for Asahi. He moved his arm like he was spiking and mountain ash shot towards the nogitsune, forming a perfect circle in the ground around him. He crashed against it, tried to send fire through the magical barrier, and finally gave up. “How dare you?”

  
“Asahi!” Noya jumped on his back and started kissing his face. “You’re such a badass!”

  
The kitsunes stopped, lightning and fire dying out. They were breathing heavily. Kita sat down on the ground. “Okay. I think it’s in your best interest to negotiate with us now.”

  
“No, thanks.”

  
“Do you want to stay in there?”

  
“I have pretty good life insurance,” he said with a satisfied smirk. “Their friends don’t wake up unless I want them to. So I think it’s in your best interest to negotiate with me, actually.” He gave a contented sigh. “I’m feeling generous. Let me kill Kuroo right now and I’ll free the others.”

  
“How about you wake them up before I run out of patience and just kill you, Daishou? How’s that offer?” The werewolves started approaching again and Yachi followed Daichi.

  
The nogitsune cackled. “What a sad bluff, Bokuto. I have Akaashi, so you’re not doing shit to me. But thanks for making me laugh.”

  
“How about you try to fight me without tricks, coward?”

  
“Oh, really, Kuroo? So you weren’t fighting me right now, not because you knew you would lose, but because… why? Wanted the kitsunes to do the job for you?”

  
“Maybe because I’m not sure I won’t kill you as soon as I can reach you, snake.”

  
“What’s with the names? I have one, you know?”

  
“Sorry, rat snake.”

  
Yachi turned away from their bickering. Suga was coming over with Hinata on his back. Kageyama was conscious and walking slowly, helped by Coach Ukai.

  
“You little shit!” Saeko started walking briskly towards Daishou. Tanaka ran after her, lifted her off the ground to keep her from walking into the mountain ash circle. “Let go of me! I don’t need superpowers to kick his sorry ass!”

  
“You don’t want to get across that line, trust me!”

  
She noticed it. “What is that?”

  
“Nothing supernatural can cross it. So if he pulls you in with him, we can’t take you out. Well, maybe Coach, or Asahi, but I’d rather not have to try.”

  
Saeko spat at the nogitsune. He gasped in disgust and wiped at his cheek. His fist clashed with the magic wall. “You better pray I don’t get out of here, bitch.”

  
“You better pray I don’t get you, you sick piece of shit!” Tanaka tried to spit at Daishou too, but his hit the barrier and slid down thin air. “Damn, that’s gross. Sorry, everybody!”

  
“Where’s my girl?” Saeko found Yachi and went to her. “You okay, baby?”

  
“Yes.” Yachi let herself be held. She really needed it.

  
Yaku and Kai also walked back into the depot, carrying an unconscious Kenma between them. Two guys from Fukurodani whose name Yachi didn’t remember brought Akaashi in, and two others from Itachiyama she simply didn’t know walked in with the third guy.

  
Kita got up again. “I don’t think your offer is going to be accepted.”

  
“I don’t see a way for this to go well for me as things stand. As in, I don’t die. So I think you’re the ones who should try to convince me to let them wake up. And I want a pact with you.”

  
“Here’s my offer,” Kita said. “You let them wake up and I won’t let them kill you. You will be able to leave this place safe and sound.”

  
“I want to get out of this first.” He kicked at the solid air. “It feels bad. I want out.”

  
“No way,” Kuroo said. “Wake them up first.”

  
“I can’t wake them up through this.” Daishou tapped the barrier again. “Or agree to a pact. So you don’t have a choice.”

  
Kuroo turned to Kita. “Is he bluffing?”

  
He just shrugged. “I don’t think so.” The kitsune addressed Daishou again. “We break the circle, but I’m putting a hand on you. Try anything and I’ll tase you. Understood?”

  
Daishou sighed. “Alright.”

  
“Aran, help me?” He stood behind Daishou, to his left, and Kita waited on his right, arm already reaching. “Can someone please break it?”

  
Yachi looked at Asahi, who turned to Coach Ukai pleadingly. He was the one who walked up to him and swiped at the powder. Daishou tried immediately to run away, but the two expecting hands got him before he could. “Okay, alright, I’m staying. Jesus.”

  
“It’s sad how much of a coward you are, really.”

  
“C’mon, Kuroo! A lot of bark, but here I am! Don’t you want to kill me?”

  
“Shut up.”

  
“How about you talk to me?” Kita said, grabbing his chin to turn his head. “Let’s discuss the pact.”

  
“Yeah, I don’t know if I like it so far… You can promise I leave this place, but what’s to stop them from following me?”

  
“Well, I can’t promise to protect you forever. But how much time do you need to disappear, really? If you stay in Tokyo, or honestly, even in Japan, after what you’ve done, that’s just stupid on your part. You have eternity. Just disappear until they grow old and die.”

  
“But I want to kill Kuroo!”

  
“He’ll die of old age.”

  
“But that’s no fun!” Yachi didn’t know if he was childish or psychopathic, but she was getting tired of his attitude.

  
“Listen, kid-“

  
“I’m a hundred and fifty-something, thank you very much!”

  
“And I’m fifteen hundred years old,” Kita whispered, sounding like his patience was reaching its limits too, “so, kid. You asked to be out of the mountain ash, you got it. If you refuse to wake these boys up, then they’re as good as dead, and their friends might not see a reason to keep you alive anymore, don’t you think?”

  
“I guess…”

  
“So the only way for you to survive is to make a pact with me.”

  
“You know what?” Daishou started to grin, “I think they’d sooner die of old age than cause the death of their friends. So I’m going to repeat my offer. Let me kill Kuroo and I let them wake up.”

  
Yachi’s fists were shaking. She walked up to the nogitsune. Aran shook his head. “Kid, you should stay away from him.”

  
“Thanks,” Yachi kept her eyes on the golden spool of thread in the center of the nogitsune’s chest and went for it, “but I got this.”

  
“Agh!” Daishou gasped and shivered. Yachi had an end of the thread between her fingers. “What the hell was that?”

  
She tied his thread to her own, gave it a little pull. It held. Yachi looked up at him. He looked terrified, and it felt good. She felt powerful. Yachi tugged at his thread and Daishou gasped again. “You’re going to listen to me now.”


	11. I Solemnly Swear

“We’re going to make one of those pacts. With this,” she gave the thread another pull, for emphasis, “I can find you anywhere, anytime. Even if you managed to get out of here without waking them up, wherever you try to run to, you can never hide from me. And if you try to kill me, I’m just going to pull harder on this.” She slowly wrapped the golden thread around her hand, watching him writhe. “What do you think that will do?”

  
“Stop! Please!” The nogitsune was getting paler and Yachi let go. It hit her that she’d just threatened someone’s life. And three other’s indirectly. Maybe she should feel a little less powerful.

  
Yachi gathered herself. “So you’re going to let our friends wake up. If you do that, I promise I won’t lead anyone to you. But you’re leaving all of them alone, forever. How does that offer sound?”

  
Daishou swallowed. “You can’t come after me, either.”

  
“Okay.”

  
He turned to Kita. “I want your pact, too. You have to promise to let me get out of here.” The kitsune nodded. “Yours first.”

  
“I’ll make sure they don’t go after you if you get out of here without hurting anyone else, and only after you wake them up.”

  
“I want a ten minute head start.”

  
“And I want to go to sleep.” Kita put his free hand before him. “You have two minutes.”

  
“Deal.” He took his hand and turned to Yachi. “I wake them up and-“

  
“You wake them up right now.”

  
“I wake them up right after we make the pact and you never follow me or help anyone find me.”

  
Yachi took his hand. “Done.” Something like an electric shock travelled up her arm and to her heart. It didn’t really hurt, but it was unexpected. Yachi turned to the three sleeping guys, who were coming back to consciousness. Bokuto and Kuroo sprinted towards them and she looked back at the nogitsune. “Good.”

  
Kita took his hand off his shoulder and Aran did the same. The captain of Inarizaki followed him up to the tunnel. “I will stay here so no one follows you. Your two minutes have started.”

  
The nogistune took off running without another word. Someone grabbed Yachi and lifted her up in a hug. “Baby girl! That was awesome!”

  
“Yachi, you were terrifying!” Hinata gave her two thumbs up before turning to Kageyama. “See! Didn’t I say banshees are super cool?” He looked at Yamaguchi. “Wasn’t she amazing?”

  
Yamaguchi looked at Yachi. He was laughing nervously. “I hope you never get mad at me.”

  
“C’mon, man!” Kuroo said to Kita while he clung to Kenma. The setter was buried in his jacket, arms slipped under it to hug him closer. “Let me through. What if I tell you that I’m not going to harm him?”

  
“Besides it being an obvious lie, I said ‘go after’, so that includes following him without harmful intentions.”

  
Bokuto walked over to them. He was carrying Akaashi, who’d wrapped both arms and legs around him. “We can’t let him get away! You’re tricksters! Didn’t you get a loophole in there or something?”

  
Kita looked down the tunnel. “I did say ‘they’, didn’t I?” he said with a slight smile. “Yachi, is it? Thank you for scaring him so deeply. He might have noticed if he hadn’t been in such a rush to get away from you. Aran, Suna,” they joined him, “don’t let anyone leave until I get back. If you’ll excuse me.” He disappeared out of Yachi’s sight.

  
“We’re right here…” the blond twin muttered. They both walked up to the other kitsunes. “He could have called our names too. Just to be polite.”

  
“You couldn’t stop anyone here from leaving,” the other said. “Useless twin.”

  
“Ugly twin!”

  
The grey-haired one punched the other’s arm. “We have the same face, dumbass.”

  
“I wear it better,” he answered with a back-handed slap to his brother’s neck.

  
Kita reappeared, carrying Daishou. He seemed unconscious, but Yachi could still see the thread hanging between the two of them. Silence fell. The kitsune walked calmly towards the closest corner of the huge space and Yachi tried to follow them, but her feet wouldn’t move. The pact was keeping her in place.

  
Kita laid Daishou on the ground and took a step back. He conjured a flame in his hand, which glowed red and kept getting brighter and brighter until it was as white as his hair. He set Daishou on fire. Yachi looked away, blinded by the flame. She could see the knot of Daishou’s life thread with hers, and she saw it dissolve into thin air. The force pinning her to where she stood let up and she stumbled forwards. Her heart felt strange again, just for a fraction of a second. Kita’s foxfire burned bright and fast, and when she got to the front of the crowd, there were only ashes remaining.

  
“Nogitsunes are too dangerous to let loose. I’m sorry you had to see that, but I thought maybe you’d sleep better at night knowing that he won’t be bothering you again.” He was joined by Aran and then tried to find the other kitsunes in the crowd. “We’ll be leaving now. Good luck with Nationals.”

  
They walked away. Kuroo started laughing and Kenma looked up to him, but he was staring at Bokuto. “Bro?”

  
“What, bro?”

  
“I fucking called it! Who did I say it fucking was? Fucking Daishou! And who fucking was it?”

  
“Yeah. I know.”

  
“I was fucking right!”

  
“Yeah, bro. I get it.”

  
“I was right.” His laugh turned to sobbing and Kenma looked up and muttered something. Kuroo buried his face in his hair and kept crying.

  
Coach Ukai cleared his throat. “Medical attention, anyone?” A lot of hands raised. “Uh… okay… Asahi, help me. Everyone, line up!”

  
. . .

  
Hinata left with the ones who didn’t need the druids’ help. His leg still hurt, but he could walk on his own. Kageyama went with them too, although Daichi made him get a piggyback ride back to the inn. Kageyama had protested at first, and then he’d fallen asleep against Daichi’s back before they even left the subway.

  
Surprisingly, there had been no deaths in that whole ordeal, and the Karasuno team was mostly alright. In front of Hinata, Yachi was talking excitedly with Saeko about her banshee powers. The teacher was walking with an arm around her brother’s waist, and Tanaka had one over his sister’s shoulders. He was also holding Kiyoko’s hand, lifting it up to his lips now and then. Next to them, Yamaguchi was walking behind Tsukishima, tearing out the last bits of glass that were still stuck to his jacket.

  
“You saved me!”

  
“Stop it.”

  
There was a big slash on his right shoulder and a stream of dried blood under it. “You did! You covered me! You probably saved my life!”

  
“Don’t say that.” Tsukishima grabbed his wrist and pulled him next to him before slipping his hand into Yamaguchi’s. “Come here.”

  
“But your jacket still has stuff on it!”

  
“I’m throwing it out anyway.”

  
“Give it to me then.”

  
Tsukishima frowned. “It’s covered in blood, dust and glass.”

  
“And the next time you say something like ‘I never do anything right’ I’ll use it as proof that you saved my life.”

  
Tsukishima threw his good arm around Yamaguchi and pulled him closer.

  
The staff had already gone off to sleep when they arrived at the inn, which saved them having to come up with an explanation for their state. They grabbed their pajamas and went straight for a bath. When they got out, the rest of the team was back.

  
“Kageyama, do you think you can play tomorrow?”

  
“Yes. It’s already almost done healing.”

  
“Good.” Daichi nodded and looked around the room. “We’re playing Nekoma in the morning, so I want everyone who’s ready for bed to go to sleep immediately. What happened tonight is no excuse. We’re not losing against them again.”

  
. . .

  
Tanaka was looking out the window at the night lights of Tokyo. He’d brought his bedroll into Saeko’s room, but he was in hers, wrapped up in her arms while she snored and slept soundly. Tanaka was being the little spoon, like on the first weeks after their parents left, when he could only sleep if Saeko was holding him. He couldn’t sleep now, though.

  
“You don’t have to stay up, love,” he whispered.

  
Kiyoko was sitting against the wall, and Tanaka craned his neck to look at her. She smiled. “It’s okay. I’m not tired.”

  
“I think you’re lying. There’s an empty bedroll right there. And we’re safe now.”

  
“You can’t sleep either.”

  
“Then at least come here with me.” She sat on top of his bedroll. “Oh, c’mon. Get in there.”

  
“But I don’t want to fall asleep.”

  
“So you could, but you don’t want to.” He gave her a smug face. “I was right, you’re a lying liar!”

  
“You too! After the night we’ve had, you’re not tired? Lies.”

  
“I’m tired, but I can’t sleep.”

  
Kiyoko sighed and got into the bedroll. She pressed Tanaka’s hand to her lips. “I love you.”

  
“I love you too.” He moved their linked hands to his mouth and left a kiss on each of her fingers. “I love you so much.”

  
“I love you so, so much.” She brushed a tear off the corner of his eye. “What if we both try to sleep?”

  
Tanaka nodded, sniffled. “Okay. Good night. Love you.”

  
“Love you too. Good night.”

  
Kiyoko fell asleep in a matter of seconds. Tanaka had meant to stay up, but to his surprise, he woke up to Saeko’s alarm next morning.

  
He hadn’t had any dreams, or at least none that he remembered. He’d been wary as soon as he opened his eyes. But Kiyoko kissed him good morning, and Saeko denied it when he accused her of snoring like a chain-smoking, fifty-year-old truck driver, and his friends joked and laughed with him during breakfast. It felt real, but even if it was a dream, Tanaka was okay with being trapped in that life.


	12. Let’s Go To The Mall (Epilogue)

“And she was like ‘you can never hide from me’ and he almost peed his pants! Yachi’s the coolest!”

  
“Blondie! That’s crazy!” Tendou tapped his chest. “Do it to me, do it to me!”

  
“I think it hurts…”

  
“I wanna know what it’s like!”

  
“Well, don’t complain later!” Yachi closed her eyes and focused. She’d finally learned to turn it on and off. “Wow, you have a lot of tangles!”

  
“I’m really cool, blondie. I have tons of friends. Ouch!” He rubbed at the spot where the thread went out of his body, his hand going through it like it didn’t exist. “Okay, that’s disturbing! I hate it!”

  
“You asked me to do it!”

  
“You could’ve warned me!”

  
“I did!”

  
“I don’t remember,” he looked away and whistled, feigning ignorance. “Your boyfriend’s here!”

  
Kyotani got out of the bus that had just stopped before the mall they were waiting at. “Hi!”

  
He kissed her and started greeting everybody. Ushijima and Kageyama had been sitting on a bench, having a very informal meeting about Kageyama’s new alpha-ness, and it seemed to be over.

  
“Well, blondie, blondie’s boyfriend, blondie’s friends,” Tendou waved at them and linked an arm through Ushijima’s, “have fun on your triple date! I was gonna say to take care of my blondie, but you know what? You guys be careful with her. She’s way tougher than any of you. Bye!”

  
“Goodbye,” Ushijima said.

  
They left. Yamaguchi turned to the mall’s entrance. “Should we get going? I told the people at the bowling alley we’d be there two minutes ago.”

  
“Yes!” Hinata grabbed Kageyama’s hand and they all walked into the building. “Kyotani, did Yachi tell you what happened in Tokyo?”

  
“Yeah, crazy.”

  
“He’s going to tell you again anyway.”

  
“She was so cool! Even you can’t deny that she was super cool, Tsukishima!”

  
He nodded. “She was pretty cool.”

  
“See! That’s how you know she was super freaking awesome! She just walked up to the nogitsune like ‘what’s up?’ and he was super scared of her, and then she…”


End file.
